Harry Potter and the Return to the Past
by The Dark Underlord
Summary: After the battle over Little Whinging Harry is transported twenty years into the past. He will go to Hogwarts with his parents for their seventh year and learn the skills he needed to defeat Voldemort. See Chapter 1 for summary.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter._

_I have read a lot of stories that have Harry going back in time after winning or losing the war or his parents coming forward in time. To date, I haven't read a story where Harry goes back in time to change his own future. I understand that this is dangerous use of the _Butterfly Effect_ but I wanted to look at what could happen if Harry was sent back in time exactly twenty years, when his parents were seventh years. What effects would, or could, this have on second war with Voldemort?_

_And that is the premise of this story. The point of divergence occurs in chapter 4 of _The Deathly Hallows_. Harry travels back in time to learn how to defeat Voldemort. The story will be told through the eyes of Harry but occasionally I will jump to the future for a brief perspective of what is happening in the second war._

_There is another issue I feel I should address, though I will also do this later in chapter 16 in brief, but Smurf questioned my philosophical interpretation of the timeline. This is good because I did not explain myself when I started writing the story a month ago. I will try to explain my ideas here. These do not just apply to this story; they are what I believe in all regards._

_Our universe is not the only universe in existence; it is but one of an infinite number still on going. Everyday our choices alter and define our destiny. I do not believe in a predetermined destiny. How this applies to this story is that Harry Potter is transported from his own time twenty years to 1977. On the surface he is being transported back in time within the same universe. _

_In actuality, he has been transported into an alternate universe. His mere presence in the past alters the timeline. But while he is still in a separate universe, he is still connected to his own. By the very nature of things, he is the point where the two universes merge. All changes he makes to the past, and there will be changes, some great and some small, will have a delayed effect on the future. They will move through him, creating new conflicting memories in him and in everyone he meets. It wouldn't be until Harry returns home that his universe will adapt and new memories, influenced by Harry, will replace the old. _

_For instance, if Harry showed his scar to Dumbledore in 1977, the portrait Dumbledore in 1997 would have a revalation, a sudden realization of seeing the scar in the past. Only after Harry returned to the present would Dumbledore's memories be permanently altered—that is to say Dumbledore would always know Harry was destined to be a time traveler. While Harry is in the past, everything must flow through him to the present. Any changes he makes to the present are not made permanent until he returns._

_I hope this is not to confusing. It was not my original intention to explain my whole philosophical rationale behind writing this story. I was afraid no one would want to read it. I fear I underestimated all of you and I sincerely apologize. If you have any questions please either leave me a review or send me a personal message via my account. I promise to respond as soon as possible. _

_Thank you all for bearing with me so far. Without further ado, here is chapter one of _Harry Potter and the Return to the Past.

Chapter 1

"Hagrid! No! Let me!"

"REPARO!"

The sidecar broke away. Carried my the momentum of the motorbike, the sidecar stayed in the air for a few precious seconds, long enough for Harry to levitate it while Hagrid circled back. But he needed to hurry. Three Death Eaters were bearing down on him, aiming for the kill.

Hagrid was flying as fast as he could but he wasn't going to make it. Seeing this, Harry desperately jumped out of the sidecar; a bare second before three killing curses reduced it to ash.

"I got ya Harry," roared Hagrid, catching his outstretched arm. Harry felt his shoulder violently separate, the pain slicing through him like fire. If it weren't for Hagrid holding him tight, he would've plummeted to his death.

It turned out to be a moot point anyway. Flying like smoke on the wind, Voldemort was bearing down on Harry and Hagrid. Harry's scar was searing with pain, making the pain in his shoulder seem like a tickle by comparison. The Boy-Who-Lived didn't know if Voldemort knew he was the real Harry or if he was just cutting down each until he got the right one. It hardly mattered anyway.

His red eyes were shining embers in the nighttime sky. Harry watched him raise his wand and fire a killing curse at Hagrid. The gentle giant couldn't swerve away in time, not without putting Harry in the path of the curse. His black eyes locked with Harry's for a few fateful seconds before the killing curse hit him square in the chest. The force would've sent a lesser man flying back but it only made Hagrid roll over, his massive hand releasing Harry.

Tears in his eyes, of grief and from the wind stream as he fell, blurred Harry's vision. But he saw Voldemort chasing him as he fell. The Dark Lord cast the killing curse again. His wand arm useless, Harry used his left and yelled out "Stupefy!"

The two curses collided not five feet away from Harry with a cataclysmic bang, sending the Boy-Who-Lived flying to the ground at light speed. He mercifully blacked out before he hit the ground.

* * *

_July 26th, 1977_

It was a beautifully peaceful summers night—well technically it was the very early morning but who cares. It was dark out and the stars were shining bright in the midnight sky, though they paled beside the majesty of Jupiter.

For the young man and woman snogging on a blanket on a hill overlooking the little river that flowed through Spinner's End and into the little village to the south, Donna Summer's _I Feel Love _playing in the background, it was a wonderful night.

For the homely blond girl pouting in her room, it was anything but. She hated living at home, wished she could move in with her fiancé. At least he was normal. She was tired of living with her parents and sister. She was the eldest, should have been treated best, at least as far as she was concerned.

But _nooooo_. She was ignored, just a little tree struggling for light in the shadow of a bigger tree, her blasted sister. How she wished she could cut her down to size, make everyone understand she wasn't so great, see her for what she really was.

Before she could get worked up, like she did every time her thoughts traveled down this road, there was a massive crash outside that the house shook violently. Exclamations from her parent's room said the crash had startled them as well.

"Are you all right sweetheart," called her mother, out of breath.

The homely girl scowled. "I'm fine mother. What on earth was that horrible crash?"

"I don't know dear. Your father is going to check. I do so hope it isn't anything dangerous."

The two women met up downstairs, watching their husband/father poke through what looked to be a massive crater in the backyard.

"Good Heavens, is it a meteor," asked the mother rhetorically. All the daughter could do was shrug. She was scowling a little, thinking this was probably the work of these dunderheads her sister hung around with. They were always disturbing the peace.

"Sweetheart, you might want to come take a look at this," called the man. "Just you," he added when he noticed his daughter following.

"What is it?"

"Just look." He pointed the flashlight down into the hole. The girl couldn't see what was there but the way her mother reacted told him this was no meteor.

"For goodness sake, get him out and bring him in the house. He desperately needs help. Petunia, call the paramedics."

Petunia reached for the phone but a man held down her hand, preventing her from lifting the receiver. "That won't be necessary. My friends and I will take it from here." Petunia noticed four men and a woman, all clad in khaki robes with red trim. They were freaks from Lily's world. Petunia pulled her hand free and wiped it on her robe as if it were contaminated. The man said nothing even if he looked mildly offended.

"Oh, I'm glad you all are here," said Jacob Evans. "I'm not sure how this young man ended up here but he has been terribly beat up."

Three of the Aurors swept past the Evans patriarch, gently extracting the boy from the earth and bringing him in the house. "Sir, I don't think we should move the boy. He is in critical condition and the shock could kill him."

"That's fine Milligan, just make sure he is okay. Briggs, you and I should set this yard to rights before anyone notices what has happened."

"Yes sir. Should we modify the memories of the neighbors, just in case?"

The leader shook his head. "It was dark out and no one saw what happened. The muggle authorities may canvass the neighborhood for the source of the crash but no one can say it happened here."

Petunia left the kitchen in a huff. The nerve of those freaks, talking about modifying innocent peoples memories as if it were a game. It's as if they think they rule the world. Her parents didn't make matters better either, fawning over the boy as if he were their own. Just another arrogant freak that had a stupid accident.

Just as Petunia pushed open her bedroom door, she heard a soft pop in her sister's. "Petunia, did mum and dad notice I was gone. And what's going on downstairs?"

Petunia leered at Lily, growling faintly. "Why don't you check for yourself? Don't see the problem though. Just some freak vandalizing our yard."

Lily looked distinctly pained by the word _freak_ but she didn't retort, rushing downstairs without another word. "Mum, what happened?" Lily was trying to crane her neck to see what was going on.

"A young man fell in our yard. Well, he crashed really."

"Did he have a broom or something?"

Her mum shook her head. "No sweetheart. The only thing he had was his wand. By some miracle it survived the crash. But he was hurt horribly."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"There actually is something you can do for us Miss Evans," said the Auror leader, stepping into sight. "Can you tell us if you recognize this boy? You are the only magical person in this neighborhood, in this county actually. I'm hoping you'll be able identify him for us."

Lily stepped forward, the Aurors parting like the Red Sea. Her eyebrows jumped when the boy first came into view. He looked like thin, malnourished version of her boyfriend. Except for his eyes. Instinctively she raised her hand and felt her cheek. This boy had her eyes, exactly her eyes. "Who is this man," she said softly.

"If his memories are correct, and by no means can we be sure until test him more thoroughly, but if his memories are correct, his name is Harry James Potter and he is a survivor of some horrific battle that caused him to crash land on your property."

"Why don't you trust his memories," asked Jacob Evans.

"There are several reasons why. First, there have been no sightings of You-Know-Who for nearly two weeks. He is a very powerful wizard but to just suddenly appear, and start a fully fledged battle that no one in the Ministry could detect, is impossible."

"The other problem with this young man's memories is that they have people in them that could not have been involved. For instance, Rubeus Hagrid, who we know is still safely living on the grounds of Hogwarts, dies in this young man's memories. Alastor Moody, the head of the Auror office, also dies in this supposed battle. We couldn't get a good look at him because of how shocked Harry's mind was from the crash, but Moody looked much older and horribly scarred, more so then usual."

"So what do you make of his memory?"

"Well, it could be a fake, planted by the Dark Lord to confuse us. As I said, preliminary blood tests and fingerprint analysis are inconclusive. This young man is not a British citizen, shows up on no Hogwarts, Beaxubatons, or Durmstrang enrollment list past or present."

"Is there anything else this memory could mean? I mean could it be a prophecy of the future?"

The Auror nodded. "Certainly possible. Again we won't know until we speak to the head Unspeakable but that is certainly a possibility. But I would doubt it. This memory did not strike me as a harbinger of the future. It felt as if it just happened." The Auror raised his hand. "I understand that I just said that was impossible but that is how it felt."

"So what should we do right now," asked Jacob.

"Take care of him. We're leaving a few potions here. Make sure he takes the ones with a red stopper every four hours. Those with a blue stopper he should take before every meal. They'll help reverse the effects of his malnourishment, hopefully help him bulk up to the point he would be at if he had been eating properly all his life."

"Do we have enough?"

"Sir, I happen to know that your daughter is a regular potions prodigy, maybe the best in her class. She should be able to reverse engineer these potions if you need more." The Auror waved his wand, making all their equipment vanish. "An Auror will come and check on this young man periodically. Try to keep him calm. After ten days, if he is strong enough, we'll start working with him. And thank you for doing all this. I know it is an inconvenience but the Ministry appreciates your cooperation."

"It is no problem. We're happy to help," said Mr. Evans but he was talking to himself. The Auror was already gone.

"Well, I think we should go to bed. It's late. The boy should be okay until morning." Mr. Evans headed upstairs without waiting for his wife and daughter. He was beat and he had work in the morning.

Lily still hadn't left the side of the young man. She was afraid to touch him but there was something about him that was familiar. Well, obviously he looked like her boyfriend James and had her eyes. But it was more then that. She couldn't put her finger on it but she felt as if she knew this man, like he was an old friend she had never met.

Emily Evans didn't disturb her daughter. She sensed the boy's arrival was hard for her to take, even if she didn't understand why. Well, Lily would come to bed when she was ready. And it was probably good someone stayed with the boy in case he did wake in the night.

* * *

_June 26th, 1997_

Severus Snape was in a right state. It had taken all the pull he had to convince the Dark Lord to let him look for Potter after the battle. Six of the seven Potters had escaped while Moody was the only escort of an imposter who died.

Snape knew that the real Potter was with Hagrid and saw the Dark Lord kill Hagrid and try to kill Potter. The boy disappeared after the explosion. He wasn't anywhere to found, not within miles of where he should've crashed. Snape didn't think he was dead and if he didn't, hopefully neither would the Order. They would look for him and so would the Death Eaters. It would be a race to find him before the community learned their savior had disappeared.

Right now Snape was practically running through the halls of Hogwarts, invisible and silent. He knew the rest of the staff wouldn't be happy to see him. Of course in one week when he was named Headmaster they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

The halls were quiet. It was only four in the morning of course. No reason to think they would be jumping. Normally one to appreciate silence, tonight he would've welcomed noise to distract him from his thoughts.

After giving the password to the gargoyle, Snape impatiently waited for the staircase to rise. He sensed no one in the office. _Good_.

The portraits were all asleep, save one. Albus Dumbledore was pacing in front of the throne in his portrait but he smiled when he saw Severus. He had been waiting for his report. Then he caught the look on the potion masters face and the smile turned to a frown. "Severus, what has happened? Is Harry okay?"

Snape felt a flash of fury but he smothered it. Accusations wouldn't help. "Dumbledore, your plan didn't work. The Dark Lord knew who was escorting Harry." Snape was breathing heavy, remembering the sight of Hagrid catching Harry only to die a few minutes later. Then there was the terrifying golden explosion that preceded Potter's disappearance.

Dumbledore took a seat. "Severus, please tell me what happened, from the very beginning."

"Well, everything was going as planned. The Dark Lord and thirty of us Death Eaters were waiting for the Order to fly off just before the wards collapsed. The plan seemed to be working because the Dark Lord held back, unsure of who was the real Potter."

"But Moody botched the whole damn scheme. All of Potter's things were sent to the Burrow except for Hedwig. When the Dark Lord saw the bird, he must have assumed that that was the real Harry. He knew how much the bird meant to Harry. Of course, he may have been drawn to Hagrid and the motorbike for symbolic reasons. The giant saved Harry when he was a baby; only fair to expect him to do the same again."

"What happened to Harry?"

"Moody and Hagrid are dead. Potter is missing. The sidecar he was sitting in broke off the motorbike. Potter jumped out just before three killing curses destroyed the sidecar and killed him. But the Dark Lord quickly killed Hagrid and tried to kill Potter as he plummeted to the ground."

Dumbledore looked very grave. "What do you mean tried?"

"He launched another killing curse. Potter cast a stunner with his left arm. The spells collided very close to Potter and then there was some sort of massive golden explosion and then Potter…was gone. I spent the last two hours scouring the countryside in a two-mile circle around where he should've landed. He is gone."

Dumbledore's shoulders fell. He looked old and defeated. "So it is done. Harry is dead. Voldemort has won."

"Headmaster, I don't believe that is the case. I just said Potter was gone. I think he is out there still, somewhere. The Dark Lord has already ordered the Death Eaters to search the whole country looking for Potter. I'm sure the Order will do the same. The Dark Lord and Potter share a connection. If think it is still live. Otherwise why would the Dark Lord bother to search for him?"

Dumbledore perked up, the strength returning to the old man. "Thank Merlin. Severus I know you'll be yoked to Hogwarts, protecting the students from the Carrows and Voldemort. But I need you keep the rumor alive that Harry is safe. Do whatever you have to but keep the rumor alive until he is found."

"I will Headmaster. I promise."

_Thank you for reading and let me know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: If the moths that fly out of my wallet are any clue, I do not own any of the characters in the Harry Potter universe._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

_Thanks to all of you who put this story on their favorite list and requested an alert. I hope I don't disappoint._

Chapter 2

"Uh…where am I," mumbled Harry Potter, trying to roll over. A soft pair of hands gently kept him in place. His glasses were off, so he could only see a blur of red and ivory. "Ginny?"

The silhouette shook side to side. "Don't move too much. You need to relax."

He heard other voices approaching, presumably the other Weasleys. He didn't know what had happened after his spell struck Voldemort's. He thought he died actually. It was a relief to be safe with the Weasleys.

Ginny raised his head slightly. "It's time for you potions. You need to sit up. There are four of them. Before you eat breakfast you'll take another two."

Harry didn't argue, grateful for her help taking the potions. "So, how are Ron and the others? Did everyone else get home safely?" His heart pained him, remembering what happened to Hagrid. He didn't think he could live with himself if more people died because of him.

Lily sat silently for a full minute, staring at him. She had no idea what to say, wasn't prepared to answer his questions and afraid to tell him what had really happened. She didn't think like the Aurors; she was sure this young man had lived through some catastrophic battle. Maybe that was where he got the scar on his head.

But that didn't make matters any easier. For starters, what about the people that had died yet in reality still lived. Maybe whatever curse sent Harry crashing into her yard also scrambled his brains. How else could you explain what had happened?

Before she could answer his question, if she intended to at all, her father entered the living room. "Ah, the boy's up. Good. I was worried something would happen in the night."

"Ginny, who is that? It doesn't sound like your dad."

"Ginny? Who in blazes is…" The man suddenly fell silent, a hard stare from Lily telling him to shut up, not make matters worse. "Right then. I suppose I'll leave you to it then," he said awkwardly, fleeing to the kitchen.

"What was that all about? Ginny, where are we?"

Lily heard the worry in the boy's voice. He didn't make an effort to escape though, telling her that he trusted this Ginny even now. Not knowing what else to do, Lily sighed and started pacing in front of Harry. The boy followed her as best he could.

"Harry, my name isn't Ginny." Lily moved away from him, wand at the ready. She didn't know how he would react and so prepared for the worst.

But Harry didn't stir, didn't even seem to breathe. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet yet strong. "All right. If you are not Ginny, then where am I? Who are you?"

"My name is Lily Evans and, at the moment, you're lying in my living room. Before you ask, I cannot tell you how you got here? I'm actually hoping you'll be able to tell me. Oh, and the man you heard earlier is my dad."

Harry looked blank. Then he glared at her. "All right Ginny. I'm not sure what kind of joke this is, but it's in poor taste talking about my mother, especially after everything that happened last night." He sounded infinitely cold and Lily felt his anger. She was alarmed to see how much it enhanced his power. He had a darkness in him she hadn't seen before.

But what truly disconcerted her was his reference to her as his mother. He was as old as she was, give or take a couple of months. "Harry, why did you call me your mother?" Her hand tightened on her wand, Harry's rage building. "Please Harry. I don't know what else I can say to you to make you believe that this is not a joke. I am really Lily Evans. I am only seventeen, probably not much older then you. I will be starting my seventh year in Hogwarts this year. Please calm yourself." She sounded frantic now. She didn't think she could handle him if he let his magic burst forth. It was relatively untrained but very powerful.

Harry shot her a calculating look. "All right, if you're really who you claim to be, tell me everything that happened after your Charms O.W.L.?"

Lily looked blank. She hadn't expected the question, especially one this specific. She tried to remember her Charms O.W.L. Nothing of note came after that she could remember. So why would he ask?

Then she remembered lying down by the lake, petting the giant squid and talking with her friends when Severus's yell reached her across the grounds. She raced to help him, anger flaring at seeing her now boyfriend and Sirius holding him upside down and embarrassing him. James, the arrogant prat, wouldn't let him go quietly, had to goad Severus. Of course, that in no way excused Severus calling her a mudblood. Her face fell, thinking of that night when she finally broke her friendship with Severus. She missed him sometimes; when he wanted to be, he was a great listener and an even better friend.

She shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. How in blazes did this boy know what had happened to her two years ago? Having no better option, she told him everything she remembered. As she spoke, she felt Harry's rage dissipate, replaced by a dispassionate aura of calculation.

When he stayed silent for nearly five minutes after she finished, she asked him what he was thinking. He looked at her, perhaps seeing her for the first time.

"Can you please close the door and put privacy wards around the room. I don't want anyone hearing what we're talking about."

"Why?" Harry didn't say anything, just sat quietly, staring at her. Desperately seeking answers, she waved her wand, closing the door and putting up several privacy and secrecy wards. That done, she conjured a chair and sat next to Harry. "How did you know what happened after my O.W.L? Who are you exactly?"

Harry sighed, a world-weary sigh she wouldn't expect from someone so young. "My name is Harry James Potter."

"Are you a student at Hogwarts? I've never seen you before?"

"No, I expect you haven't. Am I _currently _a student at Hogwarts? No, not at the moment."

"You make it sound as if you have been a student. What happened? Did you leave the school or something?"

"Please, let me explain." Lily promised to not to interrupt anymore. "Thank you. I wouldn't say I was a student. It's more like I _will be_ a student." Harry paused, running his fingers through his hair, looking so like James. "This is hard to say. Lily...Miss Evans, I'm your son. I hope you'll forgive me; I've dreamed of meeting you since I was eleven. I never thought it would happen, especially not like this."

Lily's mouth was agape. How could this be possible? "What happened after you were born? Why do you sound like you've never met me before?" She shook her head again. This was the most convoluted conversation she had ever had.

Harry dropped his head. Lily thought she could hear him crying softly but when he looked up again, his face was dry. "It is a long story, difficult to explain. Suffice it to say something happened that separated you, me and my dad, your husband."

"And who is your dad?" She already had an idea and she was right.

"James Potter. I don't know when you got married but it was probably within a year of your graduation."

"Oh my God," she said softly. "I have to tell him." She jumped to her feet, knocking the chair over backwards.

"NO!" Invisible bonds held Lily in place. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't escape. "Lily…mum please. You can't tell anyone else the truth, not even dad."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm from the future. I shouldn't be here. And if I'm going to return to my time, I have to keep my presence here a secret. I can't imagine what's already been changed just by my being here for…well, however long I've been here."

"There are maybe half a dozen Aurors who know you're real name and they probably told more when they returned to the Ministry." She felt Harry's alarm but it didn't last. He asked her what exactly happened last night.

"You crashed into our backyard some time around midnight or so. Before mum, dad, and Petunia could do anything, five Aurors showed up and ran some tests. They checked your memories, discovered your name." She scoffed. "They didn't believe what they saw though. They think you're either a spy for You-Know-Who or your memories were scrambled in the crash."

Harry's brow furrowed in thought, another trait he shared with James. "All right, this shouldn't be a problem then. I'll just tell them what they want to hear. I don't know who I really am. I've never heard of 'Harry Potter' and I don't know where these memories came from."

Lily was a little taken aback by this boy's deceptiveness. "What if they want to keep you, check to make sure you're not lying."

Harry looked right at Lily. It was an odd feeling for her, being pierced by her own eyes. "That'll be where you come in mum."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"If you and your parents take good care of me and say you're willing be my guardians until my memory comes back, they'll leave me be. They must already trust you enough to leave me here to recuperate. Leaving me with you permanently would make their lives easier. And nothing makes bureaucrats happier then having something taken care of by someone else. They'll forget all about me and it shouldn't effect the future, at least in any meaningful way."

"You have everything figured out huh?"

"By no means. I still have to figure out what to do about your parents, your sister, and…other things." He paused, looking at Lily more like a kid then an adult. "Of course, I'm hoping you'll help me…that you'll believe me and help your son."

Lily wasn't sure wanted to help Harry or if she even believed he was her son, certainly not after he talked about taking of her parents and sister as if they were tools. This boy had an aura about him that was dark and one she didn't trust. Unless she changed in the future, she didn't see how any child of hers could become this cynical.

"Mum? Lily?"

"I don't know that I can trust you. You don't seem anything like James or I. I was just thinking that there is a darkness about you that I can't imagine any child of ours coming to possess, unless something happens to us in the future."

"Lily, something _did _happen to the two of you. But before I tell you, before I tell you anything, I need your trust. I need you to promise me that whatever is said between us stays between us, forever."

"You make it sound so dramatic. What's the big deal if people know who you are?"

"I told you before that I'm from the future. Are you familiar with time-turners?"

"Sort of, I mean I've heard of them."

"That's a start. Well, what they do is take a person back in time depending on how many times the person turns the hourglass. My friend had one in our third year, going back in time and taking more classes. But you have to be careful so you don't run into your other self and that you don't screw up the timeline. People have killed their past self without even knowing it, essentially killing themselves in the process."

"That is the problem here. There are things that I just can't say because I don't know what the consequences will be on the future."

Lily scowled. "So that's it. You expect me to just trust you and you won't trust me, or anyone else. Just because you're afraid of what'll happen in the future. That's selfish."

She expected to get a rise out of Harry, but he looked hurt. "Lily, that's not my only reason for keeping information from you. I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else in this time either. You shouldn't have to suffer again because fate has screwed up my life." Harry stopped. Lily got the feeling he had said too much.

"Give me one reason why I should trust you?"

"Do you know Legilimency?"

"No, never heard of it."

"Doesn't matter. It's actually a relatively easy incantation. Look right into my eyes and say 'legilimens.' I'll take care of the rest."

Lily wasn't too sure what was going on but she did what Harry asked. Staring right into his eyes, she said the spell. Suddenly she was in another place, another time.

The home was very cozy, a nice fire going in the background. Lily heard footsteps approaching and saw James, a few years older now, walking out of the kitchen rubbing his hands. "Lils, you coming down."

Lily heard her voice call from upstairs. "I'll be right down. I'm just changing Harry." She heard mumbled baby talk and then a baby giggling.

_Have you seen enough mum_ called Harry, the voice booming through the memory. Lily didn't answer, wanting to see her baby. A minute later she watched herself come downstairs carrying a little baby boy. Harry was babbling excitedly, clutching a tiny broomstick. "Dada," he said, seeing James smiling at the foot of the stairs.

Lily wanted to see more but the memory ended abruptly. _I'm sorry mum but that's all I can remember from that day._ Lily was pulled through a vortex of color and returned to her living room. She was looking at Harry as if she had never seen him before. She still didn't understand how he had gone from being such an adorable baby to the mature man laying on the couch. But she knew he was her son and he was from the future. Instinctively, she went over and hugged him.

Harry hadn't expected Lily to hug him, but it was the most enjoyable experience of his life, save his first kiss with Ginny. Flashes of the Mirror of Erised, the screams from the Dementors, and the pictures from the photo album Hagrid gave him raced across his mind. He rubbed her hair, tears silently streaming down his face. Lily—his mum—was crying harder.

When she finally pushed herself up, she tried to catch her breath long enough to speak. "Harry, what happened to us?"

He frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that I can't tell you. It's not fair to you or James."

"So something happens to us both." It wasn't a question.

Harry nodded. "Yes." Right then Lily thought she knew what happened to her and James. She hoped she was wrong but she doubted she would ever know, until it was too late.

"What happens to you?"

"I can't tell you that either. All you need to know is that whatever else happens, I am safe from my worst enemy." Harry sounded perfectly calm but something in his eyes darkened, his eyes conveying pain and hatred.

"What _can _you tell me?"

Harry smiled sadly. "Right now, not much. I don't know enough about why I am here. The only thin I can tell you is that before I crashed here, I had been looking for…some kind of weapon so I could defeat Lord Voldemort."

Lily winced at hearing the name. "But you're just a boy. How could you defeat You-Know-Who?" She frowned, hoping she didn't offend Harry.

"I don't know. Dumbledore only told me to search for the weapon, or weapons perhaps. He didn't tell me how to defeat Voldemort."

"Wait, _Dumbledore _told you to defeat Voldemort," she asked incredulously. "How could he? What the hell was he thinking?" She was suddenly very angry with the Headmaster.

"I don't think he expected me to do it alone. He was murdered at the end of term last year. My term I mean."

"So how do you know what to look for? And what are these weapons anyway?"

Harry got a faraway look. "Well, Dumbledore and I found two. We think there are six total. I'm sure I know what three of them are. The fourth I will have to figure out. And I don't think I can find one of them anyway. It was created before my fourth year."

Lily absorbed all of this. "How can I help?"

Harry looked at her in surprise. "You don't have to help. I just need to you to keep my secret. I'm not putting you in danger."

The look she gave him was not unlike the look Hermione gave him when he tried to exclude her and Ron from helping him hunt for the horcruxes. "Harry, who are you to tell me not to help you. You're in no position to exclude me. You need me to keep your secret; you need me to help keep the Ministry off you back. And most importantly, Harry James Potter, you need to listen to your mother."

Lily relished the irony of this situation, scolding her son who was as old as she was. She had to choke back a giggle at the look on Harry's face. He looked like a five year old who was being yelled out but didn't know what he did wrong. "I'm sorry mum," he mumbled, sounding a lot like the kids Lily used to baby-sit.

"Good." Lily looked at her watch. "Now, before you tell me what is going on, you need to eat something and take your two potions. I'll be right back."

"Yes mum," said Harry in a small voice. Lily smiled as she left the room. She didn't know how much she could trust Harry or how she could help him. But by God, just being able to mess with him would be fun.

_Thank you all for reading. As always, please review. I look forward to hearing from you all and it keeps me writing._

_Oh wait, that's probably not a good thing ;)_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: The newest video game system I own is a PS2, which leads me to believe I do not own Harry Potter._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 3

Twelve days had passed since Harry crashed on the Evans' lawn. His strength returned a week ago but he was still marveling at how much more developed his body was physically since taking those potions. It was scary to see just how much the Dursley's had stunted his growth.

He cautiously looked at the homely blond girl sitting next to him. He was still getting over how bizarre it was to think about his mother or the Dursley's as part of his past when they were sitting right in front of him.

Over the past week, once his strength had returned, Harry had tried to convince the Evans' to let him do some work; repay them for their hospitality. They refused, telling him he was a guest. He had to convince them not to spoil him actually. They felt bad for him, suddenly abandoned in a strange place. They took great offense to the baggy hand-me-downs Harry was wearing too. Before Harry could stop them, they had purchased a whole new wardrobe. Lily had added her own addition as well, enchanting the clothes to grow with Harry.

Harry didn't know what to say. No one, at least no adult, had ever shown him such kindness without wanting something in return. Though he realized after the fact he had no way to make good on his promise, he swore he would repay them for everything they were doing. Except for Petunia, who fumed silently, they just smiled and told him it was no big deal.

His plans for the Ministry went off without a hitch too. They swallowed his story about not knowing who Harry Potter was or who he was before he crashed. The blood tests they performed were unexpected but they were all inconclusive which helped lend credence to his story. No magical country had every heard of Harry Potter and no one with his blood type was registered as a citizen. There were several dozen possibilities though, leading the Aurors to suspect that Harry's blood and magic were somehow contaminated by dark magic.

Lily and her parents also convinced the Aurors to let Harry stay, promising to take care of him and assuring them he was comfortable and shouldn't be moved in such an unstable condition. In a stroke of genius, something Harry hadn't even considered, Lily suggested giving him a temporary identity, at least until his "true" memory returned.

The Aurors thought that was a marvelous idea. And so Harry was rechristened Nathaniel George Evans, after Lily's paternal and maternal grandfathers respectively. For short, they agreed to call him Nathan. Unbeknownst to the Ministry, Lily also doctored up Harry's appearance a little, masking the scar and turning his hair into a rich dark brown.

The Ministry taken care of, his next task was to prepare for Hogwarts. Without his friends, his only ally was his mother. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how much time he had wasted farting around with Ron. On his birthday, which he only confided to Lily, he asked if she wouldn't mind sparing with him, just for practice.

Three minutes…_**three minutes**_ later Harry was lying on his back in a twisted heap. Lily looked horrified, apologizing profusely to Harry. But she paused awkwardly, sucking in her lips as if holding in raucous laughter. Finally, her resolve broke and she laughed at how sad Harry's attempt to fight was.

Harry desperately wanted to retort, but she had a point. After setting himself to rights, he asked her to help him. She smiled, a much more motherly smile. She blushed when she caught herself. She was still getting use to the idea that Harry was her son.

"All right Harry. Let's review our last duel."

"Aw, do we hafta," he whined, doing his best to imitate a little kid. She blushed again, smiling and wagging her finger at Harry in reproach.

"Yes we do. Now, tell me everything you thought you did well."

Harry stood silent for about thirty seconds. "There, I just did," he answered deadpan.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Smart-aleck. Okay Mr. Potter, I can think of one thing you did well. You showed incredible agility and alacrity. Another thing was your shield charms. They were some of the best I have ever seen. Dueling is a two-phase art and you seem to have mastered the defensive phase."

"However, your offensive arsenal is…well, it is just sad."

"Gee, thanks ma."

"Well, I'm being honest. No spell you used was above the third year and I saw every incantation coming. Just one of those is bad enough but put them both together…well, you get knocked down in a heap."

She walked back and forth for a few seconds thinking. "I want you to try and hit me with a spell. Don't say a word just go."

A little skeptical, Harry waved his arm. "Stunner," said Lily. Harry's eyes widened. He started to move his arm again. "Leg-locker." Bewildered now, Harry had barely lifted his wand before Lily called out he was going to conjure p_etrificus totalus_.

"How in the blazes did you know what I was going to cast?"

"It was easy Harry. It's not enough to say a spell silently. Your motions cannot be choreographed. Your arm movements, your stance, and the placement of your feet all told me what spell was coming."

Harry had never thought of any of that. But it made sense. Why else would they teach wand movements to first years if not to get them used to the spell? But Lily was right. Once you learned the spell you needed to forget the motion.

"You with me Harry," she asked. He nodded, apologizing for ignoring her. "Don't worry about it. Okay, we have five weeks before term begins. I have all my books and a couple James gave me from his library. I want you to read them and practice the spells down here. Every evening after dinner, you and I are going to spar. We'll start with increasing your spell arsenal and then move on to silent incantation and cloaking your wand movements. Sound like a plan."

"Absolutely. But wait. I don't want to take you away from your friends. Or other people." Now it was his turn to blush. It was almost too much to think about his mum and dad dating, especially when he was young enough—old enough?—to understand what they, ah may or may not be doing.

Lily rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Get you mind out of the gutter Harry. Merlin's beard, James and I have only been dating for a few months now. And he is in America with his parents visiting relatives anyway. Trust me, a kid is the last thing on my mind." She blushed at the last. "You know, it is really hard to talk about some stuff around you. Though I don't suppose it would be any easier if I were older."

Harry nodded and smiled. "I know. I was just thinking the same thing. Okay, I'll take whatever help I can get. And thank you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm your mother. I'm supposed to be there for you. You just better try hard. I won't cut you any slack."

Harry rubbed the back of his head, which was still sore from when she thrashed him earlier. "Don't expect you would."

* * *

Over the next four weeks, Lily worked Harry hard. After a few days, their sparing matches turned into a two-a-day affair.

He learned more in those five weeks then he had in six years. It wasn't enough and she told him right off the bat that it wasn't enough, that he was probably where she was after her fifth year. But it was a start. Of course, Lily was also very advanced so Harry hoped he would be on par with a "normal" seventh year.

Ten days before term began, Harry got a letter from Horace Slughorn, the deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts. Harry never would've pegged Slughorn for Headmaster, but there was not doubt he was the best "number 2" man in the world. The potions master requested that Harry come to Hogsmeade to take O.W.L. equivalency exams in the core subjects to determine if he was ready for the N.E.W.T. curriculum.

"Don't worry Harry," said Lily, giving her son's hand a squeeze. "If you passed them in your time, you'll be fine."

"Thanks."

And so, three days later, Harry apparated to Hogsmeade. Only after he landed did he remember he wasn't licensed. Well, what ever. He hadn't splinched himself. What did the Ministry people want, egg in their beer.

He was half an hour early. He whiled the time away in the Three Broomsticks, waiting for Slughorn. Not long after he finished his second butterbeer, the fat silhouette of Slughorn and the tall thin silhouette of Dumbledore passed by the frosted glass at the front of the pub. Harry wiped his mouth and stepped forward to greet the two men.

Slughorn was about to pass him by but Dumbledore recognized him as the man they were meeting immediately. "Ah, Mr. Evans, it is nice to meet you." He extended his hand, which Harry shook. "Well, let's head to Madam Rosemerta's office. She has been gracious enough to let us use it for a few hours."

Once in the office, Slughorn set up a table for the potions laboratory while Dumbledore laid out five rolls of parchment. "Okay Mr. Evans, you're going to take an abbreviated form of the written test for transfiguration, charms, potions, defense against the dark arts, and herbology. You will have forty-five minutes to complete each examination."

"Once you are finished, Professor Slughorn will administer the potions practical exam and then I will administer the transfiguration, charms, and defense exams. Lastly, we will take you up to the castle for your herbology practical exam. Before you leave tonight, you'll have your grades and your list of materials for the upcoming year. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes sir…"

"Oh, forgive me. I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Thank you Professor. Lily told me about other classes. Ancient Runes I believe is one of them. Will I be taking tests in these subjects as well?" Harry donned a worried look, more or less real because he knew nothing about those classes. Lily had given him a crash course in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy but Harry didn't think he was ready for an O.W.L

Dumbledore smiled, noting his concern. "Considering your rather sudden arrival, I think we should focus on the core curricula for now."

"Of course. Thank you sir." He sounded relieved.

"Are you ready to begin?" At Harry's nod, Slughorn turned over an hourglass and told him to begin.

* * *

"Well Mr. Evans, I must say you did exceptionally well." It was nearly five o'clock. Harry had just finished the Herbology practical and was washing up in Dumbledore's private bath.

"You earned an 'O' in charms, potions, and defense and an 'E' in transfiguration and herbology. There will be no problems placing you in the seventh year N.E.W.T. program for any of these subjects."

"Thank you sir. I owe it all to Lily. She's been helping me since I…well I invaded her home." He sighed, looking melancholy. "I feel so horrible for what happened. Even with how nice Lily and her family have been, I feel like I am punishing them. They did not ask for this."

All of those statements held some degree of truth, which helped bring them off smoother then if he lied outright. Dumbledore didn't probe, taking the word at face value. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out two bottles of butterbeer.

"Mr. Evans, I know Lily very well. She is a wonderful lady and so is her family. I believe I can speak for them when I say that they do not hold anything against you. If you have befriended Lily, I daresay they probably look at you as a surrogate son."

"Thank you sir. I think they do in fact."

Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling. "Very good. Now here is your course list and the list of materials you will need for the upcoming term." The Headmaster handed him two pieces of parchment.

"Now, I would like to tell you one last thing. All students admitted to Hogwarts must be sorted into one of four houses. It will be your home for the next year and you will have a chance to win house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. And of course, you can try out for the quidditch team. Do you know what quidditch is?"

"No sir. Lily never mentioned it."

"Really. I should have thought considering whom her boyfriend is she would have mentioned it, at least in passing. Well, no matter. I'll let you future housemates explain it when term begins. Try-outs are held two weeks after the start of term so you'll have time to learn if you wish to try-out."

"How will I be sorted? Is it some sort of challenge, like a duel?"

Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head. "No Mr. Evans, you will not be asked to duel anyone. I cannot tell you how but rest assured it is painless. And you will be sorted after the first years, as is customary whenever we have transfer students."

Harry looked dubious, earning another chuckle from the Headmaster. "If there's nothing else, it is getting late. I'm sure Lily and her parents are worried. Do you need help returning?"

"Ah, no sir. I'll be okay. Thank you though." Dumbledore nodded and opened his door and bowed Harry out. "I'll see you in a week Mr. Evans."

_Well, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please keep reviewing; I look forward to reading you reviews and having my overly inflated ego stroked._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: When I go jogging in the morning, I always carry my portable CD player attached to my belt. Something tells me I have no claim to the Harry Potter universe._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

_As always, please keep reading and reviewing. I look forward to hearing from you all._

Chapter 4

Lily congratulated Harry on his scores when he returned that night. "Tomorrow we'll go to Diagon Alley and buy your supplies. I bought mine while you were gone."

"Sounds like a plan." Then his face fell. "Um, I don't have any money."

Mr. Evans put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it m'boy. The Ministry folk actually sent Em and I some money while Lily was gone to pay for your materials. Seems they didn't want to leave us completely high and dry."

"Well, there you go. Tomorrow we'll head out."

Harry woke very early, about five thirty in the morning. Figuring he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he threw on some clothes and headed down for a cup of tea, something he hadn't had when he was younger but that he found he liked.

To his surprise, he wasn't the only one up this early. Petunia was standing by the stove, waiting for water to boil. She scowled at him when he grabbed a cup and took a seat. Harry worked hard to keep his face neutral, despite her fearsome scowl.

Shockingly, Petunia was the first to break the silence, sneering at Harry and asking if he was going to join Lily at her freak school. When he nodded, she shook her head, mumbling something about being surrounded by freaks. Harry held tight to his anger with both hands.

"Petunia…do you mind if I call you Petunia?" She ignored him, eyes focused on the kettle. "Petunia, do mind if I ask why you're up so early." He figured it couldn't hurt to be cordial. If she ignored him, so be it.

But she actually answered. "I'm waiting for my ride to work." She sounded as if every word caused her physical pain. "Why won't the bloody water boil?"

"Where do you work?"

"Why do you care," she asked icily. "You're going off to your freak school. Why should what us normal people do concern you?" Before Harry could respond, a pair of headlights shone through the front curtains. With one last sneer, Lily filled her cup and left.

When she was out the door, Harry sighed. He couldn't believe how much resentment that woman harbored. But he didn't feel as much anger as he expected. Something in her demeanor was odd. He sensed regret in her words, almost disappointment. Of course, he didn't understand what could be disappointing to her.

The idea that she may have been disappointed with herself never crossed his mind.

With his cup of tea in hand, Harry went out on the little deck and watched the sun rise. He thought about what his friends were doing, guilt settling hard in his stomach. He hoped they all were okay. As far as he knew only Hagrid and Moody had died. But even if the rest were okay, what did they think about what happened to him. They probably thought he was dead.

"You all right out here Harry," asked Mrs. Evans, poking her head out the slider.

"What? Oh, I'm fine Mrs. Evans. Thanks for asking."

The elder Evans stepped out looking at the sunrise. He noticed she stared at the spot where Harry crashed for a while. "Are _you_ okay Mrs. Evans."

"What's that dear. Oh, yes I'm quite all right. I'm just thinking about that night. So many questions," she said softly. Of course, she didn't know the half of it.

Or maybe Harry was underestimating her. "Harry, since you've been here, you have spent a lot of time with Lily. You have had a rather strange effect on her. I was hoping you could tell me why." She didn't sound hostile or accusatory, just curious.

"I really couldn't tell you Mrs. Evans. Have your tried to ask her?" He was not prepared for this line of questioning and he should've been damn it.

He couldn't tell anything from her expression, couldn't sense what she was feeling. He could've prodded harder but he couldn't do that to her. "Is that so," she said softly, looking at Harry dead in the eye. "Harry, I don't mean to prod. But there is a reason you're here. I am afraid for you but I am most afraid for my daughter." Unshed tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Harry reached out and set his hand on hers. "Mrs. Evans, your daughter is one of the most capable witches I have ever met, maybe the most capable. And from what she tells me, she is going out with one of the smartest boys in her class. Nothing will ever hurt her if she's ready for it."

A tear almost slid down his cheek. It wasn't that he lied. Lily **hadn't**—wouldn't?—be ready for Voldemort's attack. Could she have stopped it if she was? They'd never know, so Harry could take solace in the fact he hadn't lied to his grandmother.

She rested her other hand on top of his. "I know she's talented. But I hear what she says about this Lord Voldemort and I know she is hiding things from us. I was a little girl when WWII started and I know how horrible war is. Lily doesn't and it'll be worse for her because she may do actual fighting."

Emily Evans gently pulled her hands free and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry Harry. I shouldn't be bothering you with this. If Lily trusts you, then I do too. You do whatever it is you have to do and we'll be here to help you however we can." She didn't wait for a reply, walking back into the kitchen and preparing breakfast.

"Thank you," whispered Harry, turning back towards the horizon.

* * *

It was the night before Harry and Lily would travel to Hogwarts. Lily's mother had cooked a marvelous feast to celebrate her daughter's last year.

Petunia was uncommonly quiet; casting morose looks at Lily and spiteful ones at her parents. She seemed to forget Harry was there. Harry was surprised by how glum she was feeling. He expected her to be rejoicing that "the freaks" were leaving.

About midway through dinner, she asked to be excused and headed up to her bedroom. Harry thought about going after her but what would he say. And she certainly wouldn't want to talk to him. Lily gave him a sad look, as if she knew what he was thinking.

After dinner, Harry asked Lily to come downstairs so he could practice some of the new spells. After casting a silencing and imperturbable charm, Harry turned to Lily. "Why was Petunia so quiet at dinner? And why was she looking at you so darkly?"

"You don't know?"

Harry could tell she was stalling, uncomfortable about talking about her sister. "No," he lied. "I mean, she called you and me 'freaks' a couple of days ago before going to work. But I didn't understand what she meant." Another lie.

Lily sighed. "It's complicated Harry. I don't know if I should tell you. It's private after all."

"I understand if you can't tell me specifics but I just want to know why your own sister seems to hate you. I can't find anything you've done wrong."

"It's not something I did." She sighed, cracking her knuckles, something she did whenever she was nervous or thinking. "Okay, when I was eight, my magic started to manifest itself. Silly things like jumping off the swings and floating to the ground slowly or making flowers open and close."

"A man from the Ministry came to our home and told my parents that I was a witch. They didn't tell me until just before I started school, but they did tell me to be careful and not do anything dangerous. Of course Petunia, being my older sister, took it upon herself to watch me, enforce mother's rules."

"But I could tell she was jealous. She looked at everything I did with longing. I look back on my shows of magic and feel bad. I shouldn't have been so showy. When my Hogwarts letter came, that was probably when things really went sour. My parents were so happy, spent the two weeks before I left spoiling me silly. I was too happy to notice how much it hurt Petunia to be ignored."

"She became reserved, avoiding me and mum and dad. Then I found out she had written a letter to Albus Dumbledore, getting his name from my Hogwarts letter, begging him to let her come to Hogwarts. He was so polite and gentle in his reply but he couldn't let her come. That was the last straw I think. Anything having to do with magic she hated, including me."

She wiped her eyes when she finished. Harry went over to hug her, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry mum. I never knew. Have you tried to talk to her?" He regretted the question almost immediately because she stiffened in his arms and then pushed him away.

"Of course I tried. But it didn't matter. I ruined any chance I had to make it up to her before I even saw Hogwarts." Anger was making her cheeks burn, almost as bright as her hair. "She was insulting me before I got on the train, the first time she ever called me a freak. And then I told her I saw Dumbledore's letter. 'He was really nice' I tell her. So condescending. We've never really spoken sense, not in any real way."

She embraced Harry this time, burying her head in his chest. He didn't say anything, letting her cry. It was a surreal experience, soothing his mother. But he didn't mind. He tried to process everything she told him. He never thought he would feel bad for Aunt Petunia. This didn't excuse her mistreatment of Harry, not by a long chalk. It did put it into context though.

"Hey, mum." He lifted her head gently. "You didn't do anything, didn't mean for her to get hurt. You can fix this. And I'll help you."

She gulped, choking back a sob. "How? How can I ever fix this? She's going to get married soon, probably before I graduate. I don't know what's going to happen after I graduate but if you're any clue, I'm sure I'll be getting married soon. How can we fix this?" She buried his head in his chest again.

He stroked her hair gently. "I'll think of a way."

* * *

It had taken a while for Lily to settle down but she eventually did. Harry didn't think she would sleep well that night. He didn't, that's for sure.

But he didn't really want to sleep much anyway. Well, he didn't want to oversleep. Not sleeping worked just as well.

As he hoped, Petunia was up making tea when he walked into the kitchen. She scowled at him but didn't say anything. As he did before, Harry charmed the kettle to boil slower. Petunia, thankfully, didn't notice.

"Will you be joining us this morning Petunia, to see your sister and I off," he asked casually. Like he expected, she snarled at him. "Why would I bother? I've got better things to do then see you and the other freaks head off to your crackpot school."

Harry was sure he heard the faintest trace of longing in her voice but didn't acknowledge it, not now. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well then, I would just like to thank you for all your hospitality since I arrived. I can't imagine how hard this must have been on all of you, a mysterious stranger with no memories dropping out of the sky. I appreciate you all putting me up."

Petunia didn't say anything but he could see his gratitude had confused her. This was not the reaction she expected from him. Her scowl quickly returned though. "I didn't do anything for you. I just wish you weren't coming back for the holidays." She leered at him, trying to get a rise.

He didn't take the bait. "You did help me though. Your mother tells me your were the one who called for help when I crashed."

Petunia gave him a strange look. She didn't believe him. Why would her mother tell him that? But she couldn't prove he was lying and tried to cover it up with bluster. "Those other freaks showed up before I could call anyone. Besides, if mother hadn't told me to call, I would've left you there to rot. Better yet, I would've called the police and had you locked up."

They both ignored the lights shining through the front window.

"Really. You're nineteen, legally an adult. You could've ignored your mother. Yet you didn't. At the very least, you care about your mother. And that is why I don't think you would've left me out there if you were alone." Someone started knocking persistently at the door. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to keep your friend waiting. And I think the tea is done." He smiled and pointed at the kettle, which was whistling.

Petunia was visibly unnerved, not sure what had happened. But she didn't leer at him or say anything hateful. Harry stiffened when she opened the door, trying to keep the smile on his face despite the fat, red-faced man on the porch staring at him with a look of utter loathing.

"Is that the freak who vandalized your property," asked Vernon Dursley forcibly. Petunia looked back at Harry, her expression blank but her eyes showing mental conflict. After a couple of seconds, she sneered at Harry and nodded. "Bloody bastard, terrorizing the home of innocent **normal** people. Have you no shame?" He didn't wait for a reply, stomping off to his car. Petunia stared at Harry for another second before following Vernon.

_Thanks you all for reading. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. If you care to, please review. I always look forward to hearing from you all, positive and negative._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I have no stake in the Harry Potter universe. I am butchering the characters and ideas of JK Rowling for free._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 5

Harry didn't tell Lily about what happened this morning between him, Petunia, and Vernon. He didn't want to upset her just before they left, especially since she was in such high spirits.

Harry, however, was nervous about the train ride north. If he stayed with Lily, which was a given, he would almost certainly end up in a compartment with his dad, godfather, former DADA professor, and a bloody traitor. He didn't know what emotion would be harder to control: the joy of seeing the first three or the burning hatred he would have seeing the last.

It hardly mattered because, however much he wished otherwise, he couldn't let any of them know his real name or do anything unusual around them, like beating Wormtail to death. In fact, he added some charms of his own to change his appearance, especially his face, doing a little more than Lily had done.

She noticed the additions he made and approved. He was sure she already knew what was troubling him. During the drive to London, she gave his hand a squeeze and told him everything would be all right, that James and his friends would play nice. "If they don't, you let me know. **I'll **set them straight." She spoke with boundless certainty, and a hint of anticipation. Harry self-consciously shivered.

Like nearly everything else that had happened to him over the past month and a half, it was surreal feeling walking through King's Cross, imagining his friends walking the same path twenty years in the future. Some of them would be with their parents, parents who Harry was walking with right now.

In fact, two of those people were a few steps in front of Harry and Lily, walking briskly towards the magical barrier. "Step lively Frank. Don't dawdle," said a matronly woman, built like a battleship. Harry had to shove his fist in his mouth when he noticed the large eagle hat she was wearing, remembering Neville's boggart.

Lily gave him a funny look. "What's so funny?" Harry just shook his head. She wouldn't understand.

Augusta Longbottom caught sight of the Evans just before ducking through the barrier. "Lily, how are you dear," she boomed, soliciting looks from the muggle travelers.

"I'm doing well Mrs. Longbottom. How are you Frank," she asked looking at Neville's father.

"Not bad."

"'Not bad' he says," said Augusta, rolling her eyes. "He's been down because Alice graduated last year and he'll have to fly solo now. I tried to tell him that a little separation never hurt anybody. But he'll hear none of it." Again, she made no effort to keep her voice down. Everyone within earshot tried to pretend they hadn't heard a word, out of respect for Frank.

Frank, blushing furiously, nodded at Harry. "Who is your friend Lily?"

Lily hesitated for a fraction of heartbeat before answering. "This is my cousin from Richmond, Nathan. His parents are on an archeological dig, a muggle archeological dig that is. They didn't want him living alone so he's come to live with us until they're done."

"Well, pleasure to meet you Nathan. My name is Frank Longbottom."

Harry gave his hand a brisk pump. "Pleasure to meet you Frank, Mrs. Longbottom."

Augusta shook his hand, squeezing it much tighter than he expected. When she let go he needed to squeeze his hand a few times to get blood flowing again. "Well, you kids can talk on the train. Let's be off." Without even looking for muggles watching, Augusta grabbed Frank and pulled him through the barrier. Taking care to make sure no one was watching, Lily and Harry followed the Longbottoms

The crowd milling around the train was just as Harry expected. He caught his mum looking over the crowd, trying to spot James. He and his friends must have already been on board though, much to the disappointment of Lily. "That prat! I told him to wait for me," she snarled. Harry carefully hid a smile.

But just as she was stepping on the train, a handful of rose petals rained over her. She snapped around in a hurry, almost taking out Harry in the process. "James," she cried, running into his arms.

"Hey love. You didn't think I'd forget you?" He raised her chin, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then started kissing her. Harry turned his back abruptly, hoping the back of his neck wasn't as red as his face. A few seconds later, he heard his mum sigh—practically moan—softly. Harry's face burned hotter than ever before.

"So who is this bloke Lils? OW! What'd I say?" Harry turned around in time to see his dad rubbing his arm where Lily had punched him.

"Don't call him a bloke James," she said forcefully. Harry smiled as his dad seemed to shrink under her gaze. "This is my cousin Nathan. He's from the States but he's going to be joining us at Hogwarts this year."

"My bad. Forgive me mate, my name is James, James Potter."

Harry mumbled and stammered, internally kicking himself for being an idiot. Luckily Lily came to his rescue. "I'm sorry James. Even if he's a couple of months younger than me, Nathan likes to think of me as a little sister. I've tried to cure him of this but it doesn't seem to have sunk in." She gave a quick, meaningful look. _Snap out of it!_

"Ah, I got you. Protective guy. Well, I respect that." He turned to Harry. "You've got nothing to worry about my friend. I'm a good guy." Lily snorted loudly and Harry smiled. James looked at them both, a deeply hurt expression on his face. "What? I am, aren't I?"

Harry held out his hand. "I'm just messing with you James. You seem like an all right guy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

James smiled and, grabbing Lily's hand, led them onto the train and into their compartment. As they passed the other berths, Harry stole glances at the other students, trying to spot anyone he might recognize. But before he could spot anyone, James stepped next to the compartment door. He snapped to attention, even clicking his heels like an old-fashioned Prussian soldier, and bowed her in. Lily messed with his hair and walked past. "Come on Nathan," she said.

Harry took a calming breath and followed Lily. Sensing his anxiety, she took his hand and sat down with him. Harry felt a rush of emotions at seeing the rest of the Marauders. Lily was hugging Remus and Peter (Harry's eyes burned with rage when he touched her—thankfully no one else noticed). Sirius was sitting with one leg on an empty seat, looking nonchalant at the reunion. But when Lily turned to him, he smiled broadly and gave her a hug.

"It's good to see you Lils."

"It's good to see you Sirius. I was so sorry to hear what happened with your family."

Sirius eyes darkened but he just shrugged his shoulders. "It's all right. I'm not sorry I'm gone. And Mr. and Mrs. Potter have been very kind, letting me move in." James clapped Sirius on the back. "You know you're always welcome. My parents know how hard it must have been for you living with those people."

Sirius looked at Harry, through him actually, seeing something none of the others could see. "Let's not talk about it," he said, shaking his head. "Who is the new guy?"

Harry extended his hand towards Sirius. "My name's Nathan. I'm Lily's cousin. I'm staying with her this year, maybe longer. I guess that means I'm coming to Hogwarts too."

"You'll love Hogwarts Nathan. It's the best school of magic in Europe," said Remus. "I'm Remus Lupin by the way. That bloke is Sirius Black and over there is Peter Pettigrew." Harry shook hands with all of them, forcing himself to remain calm as he shook Wormtail's hand.

The six teens spent the next hour talking, mostly telling Harry about Hogwarts. They used their nicknames but didn't explain what they meant. Harry didn't ask either, not wanting to prod. After an hour, James and Lily (the Head Boy and Head Girl) left to meet and greet the new prefects and patrol the train. While they were gone, Harry talked animatedly with Remus about classes at Hogwarts, the different professors. Sirius looked bored, eventually shifting the conversation to all the girls in their year worth dating.

"You know all this from experience do you," asked Harry with a smile. His godfather just smiled and started telling a story. If even a quarter of it was true, Sirius was the luckiest S.O.B. in the world. If it wasn't true, he had the greatest imagination Harry had ever seen.

"Don't take Padfoot too seriously Nathan. He likes to brag but he's just a big softy," said Remus, smiling at Sirius. Peter nodded affirmatively.

Sirius looked highly affronted. "Watch yourself Moony. No one calls Padfoot a softy," said Sirius with a growl a dog wouldn't be ashamed to have.

Remus just smiled knowingly. "Really Sirius? And what about Gina Macmillan?" Sirius' cheeks turned bright red. Remus and Peter laughed so hard, they both started to cry.

Harry looked blank though. "Who is Gina Macmillan?"

"She's no one. I mean, she's in our year and in Hufflepuff but that's it."

Remus stopped laughing and wiped his eyes. "What he means to say is…"

"Shut it Moony!"

"Oh, really Padfoot. Settle down. If you'd just mellow out like James, you'd probably get her to go out with you."

"Wait, this is a girl Sirius dated," asked Harry.

Remus nodded. "Oh no. She's actually one of the few girls to say no to his so-called 'irresistible charm.' But he's been attracted to her almost as long as James was attracted to your cousin. It was love-at-first sight for the both of them."

"Damn it Moony. I'm warning you." He handled his wand threateningly. "Not another word."

"Now do you really want to threaten me Padfoot? Especially with the lovely Miss Gina standing right outside the door.

Sirius hastily shoved his wand in his robes and then proceeded to get all tangled up in those robes as he tried to lay back. Three girls passing by giggled and pointed at Sirius fighting with his robes. None of them were from Hufflepuff though, not that Harry could tell.

When he finally got untangled, Sirius just muttered and fumed. Remus laughed at the more creative curses. When James and Lily finally returned, they asked what was wrong with Sirius. When Remus explained, they both smiled at Sirius. Harry just watched trying to remember everything he could about his family.

After the train stopped at Hogsmeade, Harry joined the Marauders and Lily in a carriage ride up to Hogwarts. His heart ached on the ride up, emotions riding high after seeing Hagrid shepherd the first years into the boats and remembering the Hagrid he knew dying just to save him. He made a point to stare out the carriage window to hide his face. Lily told them he was probably just awed by the castle and the forest.

As they entered the castle, Lily spotted Professor Dumbledore waiting for Harry on the grand staircase at the same time the Headmaster caught his eye and beckoned him over.

"Good evening Mr. Evans. It is good to see you again."

"Thank you professor. I was just looking at the castle and the grounds. This is a magnificent school."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad you think so Nathan. And I happen to fully agree with you. I wanted to talk to you before the sorting. I'm going to have you sit at the faculty table during the sorting. After all the first years are with their new houses, Professor McGonagall will call your name and you will be sorted. You don't mind being sorted in front of the whole school do you?"

"No sir, I don't mind. It's not like any of them know me."

"Not yet Mr. Evans, but if you continue to spend time with Lily, James, and the others, they will know you soon enough." His eyes twinkled. "If you're ready, I'll lead you through the Hall." Not waiting for a reply, he strode through the stragglers and through the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. It was a novel experience, going through the hall without anyone staring. Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and (damn him!) Peter waved or gave him the thumbs up.

Harry didn't pay much attention to the sorting hat's song or the sorting itself. He made clandestine surveys of the students, recognizing some people by face, even now. He made a point not to look over at Slytherin though. Now that he was again in a room with Dumbledore and Severus Snape, his mind was flooded with images from the battle in the astronomy tower.

"Nathaniel George Evans," yelled Professor McGonagall, jarring Harry out of his thoughts. He approached the stool and took a seat. The hat actually fit his head, not like when he was younger and it practically went down to his shoulders.

**My, my, my, isn't this interesting? It seems we've met before, have we not Mr. Potter.**

Harry's hand clenched, hard enough for his nails to pierce his skin. _Can the others hear you?_

**Of course not. You should know this already.**

_I'm sorry. I just forgot that you could read my mind. So, what happens now?_

**Don't sound so afraid Mr. Potter. Your secret is safe with me, even in the future. I must say though, this is an entirely new experience for me. Never before have I sorted a time traveler.**

_Well, just sort me into Gryffindor like you did before—or will do if you'd rather—and I'll be on my way._

**Not so fast Mr. Potter. It is not so simple. I respect your desire to be with you mother, father, and godfather, but I must sort you where you would be best served. That is what I was charmed to do.**

_Why wouldn't Gryffindor be the appropriate house for me? I've spent six years in that house?_

**That's neither here nor there Mr. Potter. This is a different time and these are different circumstances. You forget that I know about the horcruxes and that I know of the prophecy made about you and Lord Voldemort. All of this drastically alters how I must sort you.**

**So, let's see. Well, we can eliminate Hufflepuff immediately. You love you family and your friends but are otherwise a loner with a wide independent streak. Hufflepuff would not suit you at all.**

**Ravenclaw is an option. If you had come back in time as an eleven year old, I would rule out Ravenclaw immediately because you do not have thirst for knowledge to thrive for half a dozen years. But if you work hard and take advantage of Ravenclaw's general neutrality in inner-house affairs, you could learn much. Let's revisit Ravenclaw later.**

**You are prejudiced against Slytherin. I find your lack of faith disturbing. Politics have segregated this house from the others. In Slytherin, you would be privy to a wealth of information about your enemy and could learn skills that none of the other houses could provide you. If you are diligent, you could save many of your housemates from horrible futures as well, especially the one called Severus Snape. I had considered him for Gryffindor you know. With you as a friend, you could save the man from a lifetime of isolation and loneliness.**

_Don't speak to me about Severus Snape. That man murdered Dumbledore, right in front of me. If you sort me into Slytherin, I will not speak to him. You'll be lucky if I don't kill him._

**That is an empty threat Mr. Potter. You understand the dangers of tampering with the future in such a way. And before you cast judgment, even on things you are sure about; you would be wise to consider the whole playing field. For instance, why did Severus Snape not kill Professor Flitwick and your friends? It was within his power yet he did not. Have you ever asked yourself why?**

**But we are getting off task. We will revisit Slytherin. Let us look at Gryffindor. You are brave and will do anything for those few you hold dear. Admirable and necessary traits for any Gryffindor. Unfortunately, I cannot place you there. You are only here for one year, if that. There is nothing Gryffindor could offer you. I would be derelict in my duties if I placed you there.**

_You can't be serious! My mum is there! My dad is there! I've spent my whole life in Gryffindor._

**And when your business in this time is finished, you will return to Gryffindor. This is not a life sentence Mr. Potter. I must place you in the house where you will do the most good and that will do the most good for you over the course of the next year. Unfortunately, neither Hufflepuff nor Gryffindor fit either bill. It comes down to Ravenclaw or Slytherin.**

_Fine! Just put me in Ravenclaw and be done with it. I refuse to be in Slytherin._

**You cannot refuse placement Harry, not unless you wish to leave Hogwarts.**

_Then that is what I will do_.

**That is another empty threat Mr. Potter. You are alone and without allies. There is nothing you could accomplish on your own on the outside. You would die in this time, never returning to your friends. I don't think you would risk that. In fact, I know you would not risk that.**

**So here we are…Ravenclaw or Slytherin…Slytherin or Ravenclaw.**

_Little cliffhanger. I hope my reasoning for ruling out Gryffindor makes sense. It just didn't strike me as plausible to sort Harry in that house. Plus I'm the jerk writing the story._

_As always, please keep reading and reviewing. I check my e-mail every morning and I look forward to hearing from all of you. It makes me write faster. Not better, but faster._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 6

Lily was watching the sorting with growing concern. It had been over five minutes. A sorting had never taken this long before. Harry told her he had been in Gryffindor in his own time. Like him, she assumed the hat would put him in the same house. Maybe they were wrong.

The rest of the castle, by contrast, was getting more and more impatient. It had been a novelty of sorts, betting to see how long the hat would take. But people across the hall were grumbling about how hungry they were. The professors, save Dumbledore, were showing conflicting expressions of concern and impatience.

Lily returned her attention to Harry. His hands where clenched tightly in fists, his knuckles white. _What was going on up there?_

* * *

After reprimanding him, the hat said nothing for a couple of minutes. It ignored him when he asked what was taking so damn long. It ignored him when he started swearing about evil Slytherins. Well actually that wasn't quite true. The hat said one word: Wormtail. That gave Harry pause.

**All right Mr. Potter, I have made my decision.**

_Yippee!_

The hat ignored Harry's sarcasm.

**Mr. Potter, before I announce your placement, I must warn you that if you do not overcome your misguided prejudices of all things Slytherin, even should you defeat Tom Riddle, your victory will be short-lived. When you have won the war, the magical world will be looking to you as a model, an example of everything that is right. The Headmaster suffered the same fate after defeating Gellert Grindelwald. Fear prevented him from winning the peace just as he had won the war. It would be a terrible shame if ignorance and hatred did the same to you. The consequences could be much more severe.**

The hat paused for a second, giving Harry a chance to consider his warning.

**While you are in this time, you will live in and learn from…RAVENCLAW!**

* * *

The hall erupted in applause, glorious relieved applause that the longest sorting _**ever **_was finally over. Lily clapped with the rest of them, catching her son's eye and smiling. He returned the smile but she could tell it was somewhat forced. His eyes betrayed a longing to be in Gryffindor.

Then Lily saw something that made her laugh. As Harry approached the table, no fewer than five minor scrums broke out among Ravenclaw girls trying to make a space for her son. Harry wasn't blind to this either, stopping short of the table looking shell-shocked. A seventh year, Victoria Edgecombe, finally grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him down next to her.

The Headmaster was watching Harry as well, his eyes twinkling. "Now that we are settled in and sorted, I invite you all to tuck in."

* * *

"So Nathan, what brings you to Hogwarts," asked the pretty raven-haired girl who pulled down next to her. Harry was a little uncomfortable with the way she was looking, sizing him up. She wasn't the only one either.

"Uh, well," he stammered, trying to remember the story his mum gave Frank Longbottom. "My parents are taking part in an archeological dig. They didn't want me to live alone so they sent me to live with Lily and her parents. She's my cousin by the way. And I have to finish my schooling, so here I am."

She smiled. "Here you are," was all she said before grabbing some food.

A little flustered, Harry filled his own plate. "So, um, who're you all?"

Names poured over him almost faster than he could keep track of them. None of them were familiar. But considering how little Harry spoke to the Ravenclaws in his own time, this was to be expected. The raven-haired girl introduced herself as Victoria Edgecombe.

Had Harry not been preoccupied, he probably would've made the connection with the Ravenclaw who betrayed the D.A. a year and a half ago. He also would've remembered a certain redhead. As it was, neither of these thoughts crossed his mind.

When the feast was over, the Ravenclaw seventh year prefect Liam offered to escort him. He was…well he was overruled by Victoria and her friends who said they would take care of making sure Harry got to the dorm. He gave Harry a look that was half sympathetic and half amused.

* * *

Over at the Gryffindor table, Lily was absently listening to James and Sirius talk about quidditch. She didn't really care for the sport, only showed an interest because of James. Tonight, she was paying close attention to what was going on over at the Ravenclaw table.

With the feast going on, she couldn't hear anything two tables over. She could see that people sitting across and around Harry were talking animatedly, the boys shaking hands. She couldn't see her son's face though because his back was to him. Of course, that gave her the perfect vantage point to watch Victoria rubbing her leg against Harry's.

"That damnable hussy," muttered Lily heatedly. She wasn't soft enough though. James, Remus, and Peter looked at her with mouths agape. Sirius was chuckling, but even he sounded a little surprised.

"Whoa, Lils. What was that," he asked. "I don't think I've ever heard you curse before." Lily only glared at him.

James followed her stare, noticing she was staring at her cousin. "What's the problem love? Something wrong with your cousin?"

Lily looked at her boyfriend with exasperation. _Typical male _she thought. Victoria was still playing footsy with Harry, quite obviously, at least to her.

"Never mind. Tonight I'll follow our prefects and the Ravenclaws to make sure there are no stragglers. You take Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

"Why the bloody hell do I have to follow the snakes? Let them get lost for all I care. For that matter, why do we even have to follow any of the houses? The prefects can be trusted."

"It is our responsibility as Head Girl and Boy to make sure everyone gets to their dorms safely tonight, regardless of the prefects. And that is what we will do," she said in tones that brokered no argument. The dangerous way her hand twitched, as if she was ready to grab her wand, sealed the deal. James silently, and wisely, acquiesced.

And so, after the feast Lily watched the two fifth year Gryffindor prefects shepherd the first years up to the dorm, doing the same for the Ravenclaws. She was also surreptitiously watching her son. He and a handful of other Ravenclaws were trailing behind, most to meet Harry and introduce themselves.

Lily's eyes narrowed though when she realized that Victoria and two of her patsies would escort him up to the tower. What the hell was wrong with Harry? She was grateful there were a few Gryffindors straggling, giving her an excuse to hand back just enough so no one noticed her following her daft son.

She was relieved to see Victoria and the others keeping their hands to themselves going upstairs. They were asking him all sorts of questions about the States and his parents. She had to admit Harry came up with some marvelous lies on the fly. And of course he asked them questions about themselves.

He had told her he hadn't really had much to do with girls in his time. Either he had lied or he was channeling his inner-Sirius because he was very smooth. For his sake, she hoped he wasn't as disingenuous as Padfoot.

At one point the seventh floor corridor forked, one path leading to the portrait of the Fat Lady, the other to other classrooms and eventually the statue guarding the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room.

"Hey Lily, you coming," called one of the boys outside the portrait. Lily turned around and shook her head. When she turned around, Harry and the others were gone. Snarling under her breath about scarlet women and idiot boys, she sped up down the corridor.

Periodically casting revealing charms, Lily didn't find any signs the entourage had veered off track. But just before the last right turn towards the Ravenclaw corridor, her charms revealed fresh footprints heading in the opposite direction, into one of the arithmancy classrooms.

Stepping in front of the door, Lily could have appreciated the niceties of the situation, knocking and being diplomatic. Instead, she opted to blast the door clean off its hinges. She raised a shield to deflect Harry's curse, breathing a sigh of relief that he wasn't too busy to be on guard.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, that'll be ten points for Ravenclaw, for each of you. You do not go wandering around the halls after curfew. Nathan, I am most disappointed in you. This is your first night and you are already breaking the rules." Harry wilted under her gaze, lowering his wand.

"You all have five seconds to return to your dorm before I start giving detentions."

The two patsies (Lily shuddered internally thinking about what nefarious purpose was behind them being in the room with Victoria and Harry) retreated without comment or a backwards glance. Victoria stared daggers at her, looking angry and disappointed.

"Oh for heavens sake Evans. Get off your high horse. How many times after the quidditch finals last year did people catch you and Potter hidden away in broom closets and the like. Why can't we have any fun?" Harry blushed furiously, taking great interest in his shoes all of a sudden.

Lily's eyes flashed dangerously; she would not give this woman the satisfaction of seeing her blush. "That'll be another ten points Edgecombe. Do you want a detention to go with that or are you ready to go to your dorm?"

Victoria swore softly under her breath. Lily suspected it was an insult but she couldn't prove it and choose to ignore it. "Come on Nathan," she said angrily.

"No, I would like to speak to my cousin privately. Go ahead Edgecombe." Lily waved her wand, replacing the door and slamming it in Victoria's astonished face. For good measure, she put up all the privacy charms she could think of.

Lily turned to face her son, arms crossed, eyes blazing. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself? It's your first night back and you're breaking curfew and running around…running around with…_scarlet women_."

Harry held up his hands pleadingly. "Nothing happened. I swear to God. She seemed nice at dinner and everything." Lily just stared, anger building. "I didn't think. I don't know; I just followed her in here."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! You follow a woman you just met, who was playing footsy with you at dinner, into an empty classroom in a secluded wing of the school. What if I hadn't come by when I did? For Merlin's sake, I'm not even a parent yet, technically. I'd be a grandparent before I was a parent. That would have to be some kind of record."

Harry glowed crimson. "That wasn't going to happen. Nothing was going to happen."

Lily growled. "Harry, to put it into archeological terms, Victoria is a tomb in which many pharaohs have lain. I'll have you know your future godfather is among those proverbial pharaohs." Harry's mouth fell open. "I have no reason to believe she wouldn't charm you either. You have to be smarter in the future damn it."

Harry shuffled his feet, a grown man being reprimanded by his mother who was both half a foot shorter and barely six months older than he was. The ghost of a smile crossed her face, her anger evaporating. "All right Harry, I suppose I've embarrassed you enough. I must say though, this is getting fun, playing parent with a man only a couple of months younger then my boyfriend."

Harry tentatively lifted his head, unsure if Lily was well and truly placated. He saw she was smiling. "I'm sorry I broke the rules. And I'm very sorry I didn't make a better decision tonight."

Lily nodded in satisfaction. "Good. And you'd better be on your toes in the future. Remember, I'll be watching." She walked over and gave him a hug, which he returned. "Now, let's get you to your dorm. It's a little different then the other houses. You don't have password."

"Hold on a second. Were you watching me tonight after I was sorted?"

"Of course I was. I just said so didn't I? What did you expect?"

Harry smiled hugging Lily again. "I didn't expect you to care that much. After I was sorted, I kind of forgot about you."

"Well thanks Harry. Way to make a woman feel good. Honestly." She was going for frustration but her smile betrayed her amusement.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I thought you'd remember you were a student. That's all."

"Settle down Harry. I knew what you meant. And I am a student, but since you crashed onto my yard, I've become a parent and a confidante. I'm not sorry because I care about you. And like I said, it's actually kind of fun." Her voice hardened a little. "That doesn't mean I'll think it's funny if something like this happens again. Do you understand me?"

Harry snapped to attention, smartly clicking his heels, imitating James. "Yes ma'am. Duly noted. Now, I believe you were going to show me how to get into my new house."

Lily lifted the protections and opened the door. "Come on then. Let's go."

Lily showed him the gilded eagle doorknocker. "After you knock, it'll ask you a riddle. Answer it right and the door will open. Get it wrong, you're stuck outside. The good thing is it gives you as much time as you need to answer the riddle. But it won't ask you more then two riddles in the space of an hour. And the riddle is always changing."

When Harry didn't move, she pushed him forward. "Go ahead, give it a try. You'll be fine."

Not confidant at all, Harry knocked the handle once.

_I never was, yet always will be. I am never seen, yet always come. I can carry nothing, yet hold much for some._

Harry raised his eyebrow, trying to think. Nothing made sense to him. _I never was, yet always will be_. Okay, if he understood that right, the answer was something that technically never existed.

_I am never seen, yet will always come_. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The second clue told him he was looking for something metaphysical. Maybe time. But time has existed before.

_I never was, yet always will be_. As far as he could tell, that was the same as the first clue. What was something intangible that never existed in the past, doesn't exist in the present, but will always come in the future?

After nearly a minute, he figured it out. "Tomorrow!" The door swung open.

"Good job Nathan," said Lily. "Sleep tight all right. I'll see you in the morning." She blew him a kiss and turned around, heading back to her dorm.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: The characters and places are the property of JK Rowling. The ideas have been trampled and taken out of context purely of my own volition. Characters such as Victoria Edgecombe are my own creation._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 7

Harry woke up early the next morning. After parting with Lily, he was a little worried Victoria would be waiting for him. She hadn't to his relief. He didn't know what he could have said to her, especially after finding out she had been with Sirius, among others. It was a relief to just go up to bed unmolested.

After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, thinking about Ron and Hermione and Hogwarts, he rolled out of bed and took a quick shower. After changing into some new clothes, he started to leave the common room and head to the Room of Requirement. Before he left, he remembered to disillusion himself and silence his feet; two charms Lily had helped him master.

When he reached the stretch of hallway across from that freakish statue, he paused. What did he want to ask the room? Well, he knew one thing he wanted to ask but he didn't know if it was magically possible.

_Can't hurt to try I guess_ he thought. After passing wall three times, a door appeared. But his excitement at seeing the door was dashed when he looked around the room. It had transformed into circular room much like the circle of doors in the Department of Mysteries. The only difference was instead of doors there were portraits of his friends and surrogate family, ten in all—Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Fred, George, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Remus. Unlike all magical portraits Harry was used to, the people in the portraits were stationary.

Nothing happened when he requested the portraits to move. Nothing happened when he asked for an explanation on how to make the pictures move. Nothing happened when he tried talking to the portraits. And nothing happened when he kicked the wall underneath Fred's picture. Well, his foot hurt like the dickens, but that wasn't what he was going for and it didn't help him at all.

Disappointed, Harry left the room and tried for another request—_I need a room where I can prepare for Voldemort_. Like his last request, he didn't know what to expect, if anything. Was it possible the room knew anything about Voldemort? If it did, what could it give him?

But another door appeared, different from the last. He could tell instantly this room was different though. After opening the door, he noticed the air rippling wildly. He wasn't an expert on curse breaking, but Ron once told him that one of the signs wards were in place was the air would be swirling or rippling.

The ripples in the air dispersed when Harry stepped through, creating a dome over a large room. Three large bookshelves were sitting in one corner. Opposite the bookshelves was a large cabinet; much like the wardrobe Lupin had trapped the boggart in during Harry's third year. By the way it was shaking Harry guessed it held another one.

The center of the room was a large dueling arena with different obstructions strewn through out. Harry didn't know if the environment would change when he practiced dueling with whatever the room threw at him, but even if it didn't, this was a great way for him to learn how to adapt to his surroundings, something he first did in the Department of Mysteries.

He spent the next half hour perusing the books. He unreasonably hoped for books deliberately spelling out how to defeat Voldemort, giving him the entire life story of the Dark Lord, things like that. It was unreasonable to expect that though because the room did not invent things; it used its magic to reproduce something that would be useful to the user.

And so Harry had over hundred books on a wide array of subjects. The majority were magically neutral, books on dueling and magical war strategy. A small handful was actually muggle books on warfare and diplomacy. Harry actually pocketed one of these (_The Art of War _by Sun Tzu) to read first. The rest were split between light and dark magical theories. Glancing at the spines, Harry didn't see the word horcrux once but he imagined…hoped actually…that these books would have something about them.

About ten minutes to seven, Harry was ready to head down to the Great Hall. On his way out he noticed a door off on the far side of the dueling chamber that he missed before. He took a couple of steps towards the door before shaking his head and turning back. He would have plenty of time to investigate the whole chamber later.

It was still a couple minutes before seven when Harry got to the Great Hall and there were maybe another dozen students sitting at tables. Six years of instincts were hard to break because Harry took a hard right and walked towards the Gryffindor table. He was about to turn around and walk back but he sensed the Headmaster's eyes on him. He couldn't afford to arouse the man's suspicion, which probably wouldn't happen anyway but he didn't think of that. He took a seat in the middle of the table until a Gryffindor corrected him.

Looking around foolishly, he apologized and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. He looked up at Dumbledore as he passed, smiling bashfully and shrugging his shoulders. The Headmaster smiled and tipped him a wink. "I should have clarified how the whole house system works Mr. Evans."

"It's all right professor. That's part of the learning curve." He took a seat just before the food appeared. He ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the reprieve when he heard Sirius's barking laughter outside the hall. Sure enough, the Marauders and Lily entered the hall. Harry smiled, catching Lily's eye. She waved, careful not to knock James arm off her waist.

Harry returned to his breakfast again. But then he felt as if someone was watching him. He looked up and down the table and at the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables in front of him. There were girls giving him passing glances, some staring at him and batting their eyes. He noted those looks with amusement and smiled inwardly, but their looks weren't what had disturbed him.

Of course, there was one table he hadn't checked. As nonchalantly as he could, he reached for a pitcher of milk on his right and tried to glance at the Slytherin table. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he grabbed another piece of toast on his left and looked again.

Then he spotted who was staring at him. The young man had greasy black hair and a hooknose. Harry looked at his plate, scowling fearsomely. He hadn't thought of Snape once since the sorting. Why was he staring at him now?

"Nathan, you okay. Uh, your wand is smoking."

Harry looked at his wand in surprise. Indeed, smoke was coming off the top. Cursing himself, he tried to forget Snape. "I'm fine Liam. Just a little preoccupied. Thanks for asking."

The prefect didn't look convinced but didn't push Harry. "So, are you looking forward to your classes? Which ones are you taking anyway," he asked, changing the subject.

"Uh before term I took an O.W.L equivalency in charms, transfiguration, potions, defense, and herbology. I suppose I'll take those classes."

"Really? Huh, want to be an Auror when you graduate?"

"I was hoping actually. Back home, I was one of the best students in defense in my year. And from everything Lily tells me about this Dark Lord of yours, I suppose I should be prepared."

For some reason, Liam's face darkened. He muttered under his breath something with the words _ignorant _and _foreigner_. There were other words he caught but they weren't fit for publication.

"I'm sorry Liam. Did I say something wrong?"

"No…well yes. Kind of. Nathan, I don't know what they taught you in America, how they look at You-Know-Who," he began.

"You mean Lord Voldemort," he said innocently, expecting what his reaction, and anyone else in earshot reactions, would be. True to form, the young man cringed.

"Shhh. Don't say the name," he whispered urgently, looking towards the door as if expecting Voldemort to break it down. "As I was saying, You-Know-Who has been killing people across the country for the last ten or fifteen years. He started small, killing here and there in the countryside."

"But as the years have gone by, he has gotten more and more followers. Now he's fighting actual battles with the Ministry whenever he has the strength. Rumor has it he has courted the giants, goblins, dementors, werewolves, and vampires. No one knows what will happen if they join his army of Death Eaters."

None of that was news to Harry, save the vampires. Harry wondered if Voldemort was trying to get the vampires on board this time. Given the success he was having on his second bid for power, they'd view any offer of his more favorably.

"What is being done to defeat him," Harry asked.

"Hard to say. You-Know-Who is smart. Not even Dumbledore has been able to keep track of him and he's one of the most powerful wizards in the world. But somehow the Death Eaters are always one step ahead of the Aurors. When we fight them, we usually win. But we seldom get the chance. They either hit a place randomly and without warning or they hightail it away just before our Aurors get there. It's maddening."

Harry nodded. He wondered if the Room of Requirement could give him books and Auror accounts of Voldemort's attacks during this phase of his war up till…that night. Maybe he could figure out a pattern, or he and Lily could figure out something working together.

Before he could ask Liam more, the hall started to fill and the chatter drowned them out. "Can we talk later," he asked the prefect.

"You bet. Let's talk at lunch."

Harry was simultaneously nervous and pleased when Victoria and her friends took seats across from and next him. Lily had her back to him, so he felt a little less self-conscious about talking to her. She mercifully left Lily out of the discussion. His mother's warnings about Victoria's extra-curricular activities slipped further and further into the back of his mind the longer they talked.

At a quarter to eight, the heads of house started distributing schedules, working for the first years up. It was about five after eight when Flitwick reached the seventh years.

"Mr. Jefferson, here's your schedule," said Flitwick handing Liam his schedule. And he worked through all the returning students before getting to Harry. "Ah, Mr. Evans," squeaked Flitwick. "Your cousin is one of my best and favorite students. I wonder if you'll take after her in charms."

"I don't know professor. She and I worked together over the summer. She's an amazing witch, more powerful then when I saw her last."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do splendidly. Now, the Headmaster asked me to tell you that if you wish, you may sit in on Professor Babbling's ancient runes class and Professor Hayward's arithmancy class. It doesn't conflict with your schedule."

"If you'd like to take either or both, they will test you and see if you're ready. Lily is actually quite skilled in arithmancy and her friend Remus Lupin is proficient in ancient runes. I don't know if you have met Remus but if you're on good terms with Lily I'm sure he'd help you."

"I have met Remus actually, yesterday on the train. He seems like good guy," said Harry, giving himself time think. "If it's okay with Professors Babbling and Hayward, I'd be happy to observe their classes. I don't know if I'll take them; I didn't back home. But it can't hurt to sit in."

"Too true. All right, your first class is actually Transfiguration. Since the other prefects are gone, I can show you to your class. In fact, I don't have class until you do. I can show you where all your classes are."

Harry smiled. "That would be great professor."

"Very good. Let's head down to the dungeons first, where Professor Slughorn teaches potions.

The tour ended with five minutes to go before class. Harry thanked Flitwick and waited outside Professor McGonagall's class.

"Hey Nathan. How's it going," called a familiar voice down the hall.

Harry smiled at James, Sirius, and Remus. "Not to bad. I didn't expect to see all of you here. Well, at least not Sirius."

Sirius's eyes widened a pained expression on his face. "What rumors has that cousin of yours been spreading?"

Harry smirked. "I can't say. I've said enough."

James and Remus laughed, liking how well Harry messed with their friend. Sirius scowled at them. "Oh come on Padfoot, the boy is yanking your chain. Lily loves you."

"That's right," said Remus. "And we all think you're brilliant. Well, except the girls who end up going out with you. The phrase 'smarter coming out than going in' comes to mind with them." Remus ducked when Sirius pretended to throw a punch.

"I'm sorry Sirius. She told me you all were brilliant."

"Potter, Black, if you are quite done, I would like to begin class," called a stern voice from the doorway. Professor McGonagall looked much younger but still very stern. At the moment though, the corners of her mouth were turned up slightly. "Nice to meet you Mr. Evans. I would warn you to watch out for these three, but considering who your cousin is, I imagine that will be impossible. Now, let's go boys."

Transfiguration went well, the little bit of help Lily had given him paying off nicely. He was about as good as Sirius and Remus. They all paled beside James. Professor McGonagall actually had him working on alternative assignments during lecture and had him help during practical exercises. He was actually a very good teacher.

"Good Nathan. Remember you don't need to wave your wand as much. It slows you down. Try to the transfiguration again." Harry kept his wand movements crisp and concise, completing the transfiguration in one motion. "Good. You catch on quick." He moved onto help one of the Hufflepuff girl in the class, missing Harry's smile.

After transfiguration, James and his friends separated, James and Sirius having a break while Remus headed to Ancient Runes. "You mind if I follow you. I don't know where the class is."

"Of course. I didn't peg you as the type who'd enjoy ancient runes. You seem more like James and Sirius."

The compliment meant a lot to Harry, especially coming from Remus, the one man who knew them better than anyone. "Well, you're half right. Professor Babbling invited me to sit in to see I wanted to take the class."

"Oh, I think you'll like it. I'll help you out too, if you'd like."

"You don't mind. I don't want to be a bother."

Lupin waved that away. "Nonsense. Happy to do it. Uh, there is one thing about the class. I don't know if it'll be an issue."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Well, there is a Slytherin in the class, Severus Snape. He used to be a friend of Lily's. They were actually pretty close until…until he said something he shouldn't of."

"He called her a mudblood." It wasn't a question.

Lupin eyes almost bugged out of his head. "How did you know that? Lily hates talking about it."

"She told me over the summer. I don't know if I want to take the class anymore." He started to turn back but Remus held him back, misinterpreting his apprehension to be because he didn't want to betray Lily.

"No, don't let Severus stop you from sitting in on the class. Regardless of what he said to Lily, he's not that bad. Even Lily has moved on. She hasn't forgiven him but she understands he blurted it out on accident and wouldn't have if she hadn't been the one to defend him against James and Sirius."

Harry didn't say anything; just let himself be led by Remus into the class. Snape sat in the back, glaring at Lupin when he came in but the glare disappeared when he saw Harry. Harry couldn't do anything but look at Snape in pained incomprehension. The murderer raised an eyebrow but didn't confront Harry.

Harry didn't pay any attention to Professor Babbling, apologizing after class but telling her he didn't think he would do well in the class. He told her he couldn't understand the material. "That's all right dear. Not a problem."

* * *

Remus watched Harry head off to his dorm, feeling bad he had upset his friend's cousin. He still assumed he was taking it hard because, like Lily said, he was protective of her. He couldn't know that the news that Severus Snape—the man who betrayed his parents—used to be a friend of Lily Evans—his own mother—hit him harder than a _cruciatus _curse from Lord Voldemort himself.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I do not own Harry Potter._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 8

Lily was busy taking notes in muggle studies when she heard a soft rapping at the window behind her. Professor Omen didn't seem to notice, continuing his lecture over the history of muggle government.

When Lily turned away from the owl, she heard it start tapping harder. It lifted its leg and gestured towards her with its wing when she looked back again. "Okay, I'm coming," she said softly, making sure Professor Omen wasn't watching her. The owl held out its leg and flew off after she untied the scroll.

_Lily_

_As soon as you can, can you meet me in the seventh floor hallway across from the statue of Barnabas the Barmy?_

_Nathan_

Lily frowned, wondering what Harry could find so urgent. Well, she had a break before lunch and knew Harry did too. She would go as soon as class as over.

James was waiting for her too. "Hey Lils. You have a free period now right." He smiled and winked. Lily smiled too but shook her head. "I'm sorry James. I'm meeting with Nathan before lunch to see how his classes are going."

James pouted, earning another smile from Lily. "Why now? You'll see each other at lunch."

Lily gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm sorry. It was my idea, not his. I just want to talk with him. It's hard since we're in different houses." When James continued to pout, she pulled him behind a suit of armor.

A couple of minutes later, they separated, breathing hard. "Now I really don't want you to go," he said softly, holding her tight.

Lily poked him in the side, where he was ticklish. "I'll see you at lunch. And maybe tonight we'll finish what we started here."

"All right love. Tell Nathan I said hi." After one last peck on the cheek, James headed downstairs to meet Sirius. Lily smiled at his retreating back and then turned round and took a couple hidden paths, ending up near the Gryffindor common room. The place where she was meeting Harry was actually pretty close to the Ravenclaw common room.

When she rounded the corner, she didn't see Nathan among the other students.

"Lily, wait here a moment," said Harry softly. She realized he was disillusioned. "I'm going to get rid of these people." She felt him walk away. She tried to stop him but before she could she heard him whispering softly to the statue.

All of a sudden, Peeves appeared, throwing balloons filled with water, ink, and some foul smelling liquid at everyone in the hall. She noticed with hint of amusement that he didn't throw any at her. In the bedlam, no one else noticed he spared her thankfully.

When the hall was empty save Harry and Lily (Peeves was chasing a group of girls who were screaming and trying to curse him), Harry disillusioned himself.

"What was that Nathan," she said with a grin. But then she saw the look of pain on Harry's face. "What's the matter?"

Harry shook his head. "Not here. Give me a minute." She raised an eyebrow as he paced in front a stretch of wall three times. But then a door just materialized.

"Harry, what the…how did you…what is this?" He didn't answer. He just grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room. She gasped; it was a perfect replica of the Gryffindor common room. "Harry, what is this place," she asked, awe-struck.

"It's called the room of requirement. The house-elves call it the come-and-go room sometimes," he answered, locking the door. Then he turned back to face her and she saw that look of pain again.

"Harry, what's wrong? You look like someone died." Harry winced, making Lily rush to him and pull him into a fierce hug. "Please, tell me what your saw."

"I didn't see anything. Mum, are you friends with Severus Snape?"

Lily felt confused. "Well, I was but that was before he called me a mudblood. Since then we haven't spoken to each other. Why do you ask?"

Harry had a faraway look, his eyes looking right at Lily but seeing something else entirely. She was a little worried. "Harry, what are you thinking about," she asked tentatively.

"How did you meet Snape," he asked suddenly, his eyes still having that faraway look to them.

"Well, when I was ten Petunia and I were playing in the park near our house. I upset Petunia with a show of magic of some kind. I don't really remember what. Severus was watching us from the bushes. I don't think he knew I knew he was there but I did."

"He came out and told me that I was a witch, the first time I ever heard about magic. I started hanging out with him, much to Petunia's chagrin. When we were sorted into separate houses six years ago, we were still friends but it was harder and harder to hold onto each other. He was—is—hanging out with some bad guys, like Avery and Rosier. Whenever we were alone though, it was like old times."

"And then he called you a mudblood."

Lily frowned. "Yes. He tried to apologize but I couldn't defend him anymore. The lines were drawn; he had bought into all that pureblood nonsense even though he was a half-blood himself. There was nothing left to say." She sounded very sad. Harry set his hand on her own. "Sometimes I really miss him, miss what we used to have."

Harry jerked his hand away as if he had been shocked, much to the surprise of Lily. "You miss him," he asked incredulously. "How can you say that? The man's a pureblood bigot. He's a Death Eater, a traitor, and a murderer!"

Harry wound down, realizing he had said far too much. Lily looked at him with a mixture of fear and incomprehension. Well, the cat was already out of the bag. She wouldn't let him go without explaining.

"Harry, what did Severus do in your time to make you hate him so?"

"After you guys graduate, Snape will join Voldemort and become a Death Eater. Apparently he'll be a damn good one because he'll end up in his inner circle pretty quick."

"And that's why he's a traitor? Because he became a Death Eater."

Harry shook his head. "No, he's a traitor because he tricked a lot of good people into thinking he had changed. After Voldemort had been defeated, Snape claimed he was reformed. One of the best men I ever knew made a terrible mistake, one that would cost him his life. He defended Snape, kept him from being imprisoned in Azkaban. Barely a month before I met you, Snape killed this man, even after he begged for his life."

Harry paused, angry tears flowing down his cheeks. Lily hugged him again and Harry felt some of his pain vanish. But not all of it. In fact, her embrace brought new fears and revitalized anger.

Lily sensed this new surge of anger at her touch and wondered why. She didn't know how to ask Harry though. She was still reeling from the fact that Snape had actually murdered someone. She didn't want to believe it, had trouble seeing how it was possible. Even if he hung around with some outright evil people, he still seemed distant and reserved. She hoped that Harry was mistaken, not about the murder because there was no denying that. She hoped he was wrong about the circumstances of the murder.

Harry started muttering darkly under his breath, indecision and confusion conflicting with his rage. Lily could only catch a few phrases. One that struck her as odd was "blasted sorting hat."

Lily extended her arms, looking into Harry's eyes, identical to her own. "What does the sorting hat have to do with this Harry?"

Harry scowled. "When I was being sorted, the hat tried to put in Slytherin. Second time it has tried to do that. It told me that I could do some good if I were in Slytherin, help some of the students and save them from making mistakes in the future."

"Well, that's a good thing isn't it? I mean that could save lives."

"I agree and I want to help. But I shouldn't be forced. As you said, I think it would be harder to affect any kind of change if I'm in the same house as Avery and the others. As an outsider, anonymity would protect them whenever we spoke. That's assuming any of them would listen." He mumbled that last part, hopefully enough so Lily didn't catch it.

"No, the problem was the know-it-all hat told me I could do a lot of good for Snape. Something about saving him from a lifetime of isolation and loneliness. Before that it raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the night of Snape's homicide."

Lily nodded. "I was thinking the same thing; that maybe there was more going on than you saw."

Harry scowled even harder, anger radiating off him in waves. Lily actually took a few fearful steps back.

Seeing his mother back away, obviously afraid, made Harry reign in his anger. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. And you're not the first one to tell me that I may have it wrong. It's just that I was _there_. I saw the killing curse connect. I held the man's hand after Snape fled. It was too much to bear."

Harry's face darkened. "And then there was Snape's first betrayal, the blasted thing that set this whole damn chain of events in motion."

"What did he do?"

Harry sighed. "He heard something private, something he shouldn't have heard. It was important though, even the small part he heard, and he knew it because it involved his precious Dark Lord. So he ran to tell him everything he heard. With the help of another traitor, Voldemort used Snape's intelligence to kill two people and ruin the lives of two more."

Lily paid close attention to her son's account, noting the fact that Severus didn't hear all of this private conversation. She didn't mention this to Harry, wishing to avoid upsetting him again. But this was twice now she had the feeling he was jumping to conclusions. She couldn't blame him because both times it seemed like people close to him suffered.

"Is this why you wanted to talk to me?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really. I mean I wanted to ask you about Snape. Remus told me you two were close. It hit me hard because of everything I know about him and what he did before and after I was born." He looked as if he wanted to say more but words escaped him. He stood up and embraced Lily again. She returned his hug; trying to absorb everything she had told him. The more she went over everything he said, the more she wanted to talk to Severus. It was odd, because none of what Harry said happened yet, but she was looking for answers. She also wanted to help her old friend, odd as it sounded.

She wouldn't talk to him though, not until she could convince Harry to join her. It sounded like the sorting hat was trying to help him, give him some kind of advice. She was resolved to make sure her son wouldn't miss the opportunity.

After a few minutes passed silently, Harry checked his watch. "I'm sorry mum. It's almost lunch."

"Don't be sorry Harry. I'm glad we could talk. I wish it had been something a bit cheerier but I understand why you were upset. If you don't mind, I think we should try to see one another here a few times a week. Being in different houses, we won't have many chances to talk."

Harry smiled. "I'd like that."

"Good. Now, before we leave, I just want to make sure you'll be okay in your other classes. Severus will be in charms, potions, and defense. I'll be there too of course, as will at least two of the Marauders. But it'd be hard to explain if you suddenly started strangling Severus." She smiled, but it was a grim.

But Harry waved her concern away. "Once Dumbledore told me I could take N.E.W.T. potions I knew I'd have classes with Snape. And I understand how dangerous it would be to interfere with the timeline in such a dramatic way. I'll keep my hands to myself."

Lily heard him mutter "for now" and was curious to what he was referring. It didn't matter though, not so long as he was careful now. "All right. Shall we head down to lunch?" She moved towards the door.

"Mum, wait. Remember, this isn't the Gryffindor common room." Lily paused. She had forgotten they were in a replica. "Here, let me make sure the coast is clear."

Lily gasped when a part of the wall just disappeared. But Harry didn't look concerned. He scanned the hallway for other people. But it was empty. "Let's go." He held the door open for her with a grin. "Ladies first."

"Such good manners," said Lily, rubbing his cheek as she passed, causing him to smile and blush.

_Thank you all for reading. Please review and let me know what you think. I love hearing from all of you._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: I do not own anything your read here save the characters I invented and sadly make no profit from my nonsensical rant._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

**Special Note 2: The last chapter took place on 9/2/77, the first day of classes. In 1977, that fell on a Friday. This chapter is set a week later, after the first full week of classes.**

Chapter 9

"Impedimenta," yelled Lily mentally. Her curse whizzed by Harry, who dove behind a large boulder.

The chamber was silent. Lily had her wand at the ready. She decided to try a new charm. "Vires exaudio," she whispered, tapping her head lightly. The spell left her a little drained but her hearing improved tenfold. She could hear the hum of the wards. More importantly, she could hear her son creeping around to her left, trying to get behind her.

Letting the poor boy think he had a jump on her, she crept forward, to the boulder he had dived behind earlier. When she heard him creeping within a few yards, she went to the ground, spinning and mentally casting _incarcerous_.

While he struggled against the ropes holding him, Lily canceled the listening charm and freed her son. "You should have cursed me when you had the chance Harry," she said with a smile, helping him to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I wanted to surprise you"

She hugged him. "Well, you've already done that, just by being here. Next time we duel go all out. I can take it."

"Yes ma'am. So, how did you know I was behind you anyway? Was it one of those new charms we've been reading about?"

Lily nodded. "The listening charm. We need to practice it though. It left me a little drained. In a duel that can be dangerous. Otherwise though, I could hear everything, even the wards humming and buzzing way up there."

Harry smiled, walking over to a new table with a scroll of parchment. He wrote down the charm, noting that it left his mum drained. It was the first new spell one of them had tried. Of course, this was only the second dueling session they had had in the past week. And, like Harry, Lily was much more fascinated by the books.

"So, have you figured out how to let that boggart out," she asked, handing him a glass of water.

Harry took a swig and shook his head. "Not yet. You're right; it is a wand keeping it shut so we know a witch or wizard will come out. I'm just not sure why the room won't let me release it to duel. It could be waiting until I'm ready to fight whatever is in it. I don't know."

"You sound eager to fight what's in it." She sounded worried, even with all the protections of the room.

He reached out and patted her hand. "Not eager to fight. I've done too much of that to look forward to it. But I am curious. If it is part of my training, I'm guessing Voldemort will pop out. And if I have to wait until I'm ready, it'll be a good long while before that boggart comes out. I know that."

Lily nodded, eyeing the wardrobe warily. "Good," was all she said.

Harry finished his water and checked the time. "It's about a quarter to six. Dinner will be served soon. We should go." Harry grabbed two books to read, another muggle book (_On War_ by Carl von Clausewitz) and a book on the dark arts.

Lily noticed the dark arts book and frowned but didn't comment. She held onto the book she took out a few days ago on advanced light side spells and charms.

"You know Nathan, there are others who could help us, well you specifically." She paused, seeing how he would react. When he didn't say anything, she elaborated. "I mean, you know how smart James, Sirius, and Remus are." She didn't mention Peter, realizing two days ago that her son hated Peter. She saw it in his eyes whenever he looked at him. It was worse if he touched her.

"I know Lily. I'm just afraid."

"Because of what could happen in the future."

Harry nodded his head. "I'm afraid they'll find out the truth. I trust you. And since I'm still standing here, I was smart to trust you. But if da…James learns the truth, or even parts of it, I don't know what he'll do."

Lily set her hand on his arm. "Nathan, while I think you should tell him the truth eventually, at least some of it, that doesn't have anything to do him helping you. Or the others for that matter."

Harry sighed. "But I would I explain the chamber to him. Never mind explaining how I knew about the Room of Requirement when I've only been here a week. And what about why I need all this training?"

Lily frowned. She hadn't thought about the chamber. James may not question her or Nathan if she asked him not to, but Remus and especially Sirius would ask inconvenient questions. But if she could ease James into it first, get him to keep it a secret. But how would she explain the room without incriminating Nathan.

In the end, she sighed too. "I don't want to give up Harry. We need them. I think it'll be good for your training and it'll be good for you spiritually. I'll think of a way to bring them into this slowly. I promise."

Harry looked down at her, still getting used to staring into his eyes. He wanted to spend more time with James. The sorting hat had realized it a week ago and she could see it now. "Thank you," he said softly.

She smiled and hugged him again. "Don't mention it." She lowered her voice so only he could here. "Now go have fun with your friends. It's not good to spend so much time with your mum."

After parting ways with Lily, Harry took a seat by his other dorm mates, Liam, Bryn, and Ben. When he wasn't spending time with Lily, he was spending more and more time with them. They were good guys, not the bookworm types he had expected most Ravenclaws to be.

As he took a seat between Bryn and a fifth year (Harry thought his name was Justin), his friends were talking excitedly about quidditch tryouts tomorrow. They had been talking more and more about the team since Monday. They were hungry to bring the cup back to Ravenclaw.

Two year ago, Ravenclaw fielded a team that was more dominating than any in house history and one of the best in school history, winning games by an average of 320 points. Last year they were primed to repeat but then disaster struck when their star keeper and one of their beaters, keys to their dominant defense, went down early in the first match. Their offense kept rolling but Bryn, the uninjured beater, couldn't get in sync with the fifth year reserve beater, making life for opposing chasers easier.

Then there was the revolving door at the keeper position. Ashton, returning seeker and team captain, had tried to plug five different kids into the slot but they were all horrible. Two spectacular catches on her part kept them in the chase, just barely. Then James Potter and the Gryffindors flew up and down the pitch in the finals, embarrassing the Ravenclaw team that couldn't keep the quaffle out of the hoops. Ashton caught the snitch, keeping the loss from being too bad, reminiscent of the Ireland—Bulgaria finals.

Harry was dying to play and told his friends as much. But he didn't have a broom. Ashton was angry with him when she heard. She seemed convinced he could make a good beater or keeper; the way she acted when he told her he didn't have a broom, you'd think Harry had single-handedly canceled Christmas.

What Harry didn't expect was that Ashton would go above Harry's head. After breakfast, Professor Flitwick asked Harry to stay for a moment. Saying good-bye to his friends, Harry headed up to the staff table. He was surprised to see Dumbledore standing there too.

"Headmaster sir," Harry said politely. "Is there something wrong Professor," he asked Flitwick.

"No, not at all Nathan. In fact, I've been hearing great things from all your professors. No, I asked you to stay because two days ago Miss Donovan came to my office in a bit of a huff. I was hoping you could help me figure out why, maybe calm her down."

Harry scratched his head. "I'll try sir. Although I'm not sure why she's upset with me."

Dumbledore smiled, eye twinkling. "It seems she is disappointed in you Mr. Evans because you won't tryout for the quidditch team."

"Oh! Well, she's right. I would love to tryout. I played quidditch back home. But I don't have a broom and I would feel uncomfortable asking Lily after everything her parents have done for me."

The Headmaster still smiled. "That is most commendable Mr. Evans. However, I may have another solution."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Sir?"

"Next year we are replacing the brooms used to teach the first years. We have narrowed down our selection to three possible choices: the Comet 200, the Nimbus 1600, and the Moontrimmer Gold. Unfortunately, Madam Hooch does not have the time to test all three brooms with her hectic schedule. Then Professor Flitwick approached me yesterday and told me of your problem."

"And we thought what better way to test one of the brooms than on the field," interrupted Professor Flitwick. "We'd like you to take one of the brooms, use it for the year, and report back to us on its performance. Would you mind?"

Harry smiled broadly, not believing his ears. "Sir, I'd love to."

Dumbledore stepped to the side, revealing a brand new Comet 200 broomstick. "Here you go Mr. Evans. Enjoy."

Harry shouldered the broomstick, still not believing he could play Quidditch now. "Thank you Headmaster! Thank you Professor!"

The older men smiled. "No thanks necessary Mr. Evans," squeaked Professor Flitwick merrily. "You can show your gratitude by thrashing your cousin's boyfriend and bringing the cup back where it belongs."

Harry stood tall, smiling predatorily. He hadn't thought about flying against his father. That would be fun. "You'll have the trophy back sir. I promise."

"Now that's what I like to hear!"

"Okay Mr. Evans, you may leave. Filius and I have other matters we need discuss."

Thanking them both one more time, Harry headed up to his dorm to put his broom away. He couldn't wait to tell his friends he'd be trying out. He really wanted to tell Lily but she had to listen about quidditch enough from James. He'd give her a break.

* * *

"Hey Evans, wake up." Bryn prodded Harry in the back.

Harry mumbled and cursed. "I'm sleeping damn it," he said rolling over.

His three dorm mates laughed. "Language Evans," said Liam. "Come on mate, do you really want to sleep through tryouts.

Harry bolted upright. "That's right. I can't believe I forgot ours are today."

"What Evans, plan to try out for Gryffindor tomorrow," joked Bryn.

"All right guys. Give me a minute to get ready. I'll meet you in the common room." The three teens left, letting Harry get ready. They had been thrilled to hear he was trying out; they all agreed with Ashton that he had the build to be a good keeper or beater. Harry had never played either position but he didn't worry too much. He just wanted to fly.

When he and his friends arrived in the Great Hall, a few kids told them Ashton was already down by the pitch. "Blimey, she's mad isn't she?"

"Come on Ben, you know how hard it was for her to lose the cup last year after taking over as captain. She wants to win. Just look at what she did for Nathan."

Ben nodded impatiently. "I know what she's worrying about. It just doesn't bode well for us is all. She'll run us ragged all year."

Harry hid a smile, remembering how much Fred and George complained about Wood.

With their captain waiting for them, all the kids trying out ate quickly and headed down to the pitch, lest they get chewed out.

Ashton didn't say anything when Harry came down, broom in hand. But he could've sworn he saw her smile a self-satisfied smile. At eight on the dot, she shot red sparks into the air. Several returning players booed at the hated Gryffindor colors. Ashton smiled again.

"All right you lugs, quiet down. Except for Nathan, I'm sure you all remember what happened to us last year. We were the best team, hands down. Injuries hurt us. I made mistakes too. I didn't give the reserves enough time to practice. Well, neither of those things is going to happen this year by God."

"Every position is up for grabs this year, except for seeker of course. I'm also going to keep four reserve chasers, three reserve beaters, and two reserve keepers. So most of you will make the team in some capacity. Any questions?" When no one said anything she told them all to fly ten laps around the pitch within seven minutes. Ten kids couldn't complete the circuit that fast. She thanked them for coming out and told them to try again next year.

Next were the keeper tryouts. She asked Harry, a sixth year Myles Austin, two fifth years Justin and Carly, and a fourth year Matthew to guard the hoops one at a time. She and two of the chasers from last year tried to score ten goals.

Carly blocked nine of ten, Harry and Justin blocked seven, and Myles blocked six. Ashton declared Carly the starting keeper but held off naming the reserves because Harry and Justin had signed up to tryout for beater and chaser respectively.

Seven teens, including Harry and Bryn, tried out for beater. Ashton put them in different pairs to see who worked best. Bryn quickly established himself as one of the starters. The battle for number two was tight between Harry and a sixth year Aaron Dupoy. The younger man was more fundamentally sound in terms of beater techniques but Harry was the far superior flyer, his speed and skill on the broom making up for his flawed technique. He also worked better with Bryn, Harry playing sidekick well and complementing Bryn's aggressiveness whereas Aaron clashed with Bryn, his aggressive style too similar to the older boy's.

After talking with Bryn for almost ten minutes, Ashton declared Harry the second starting beater. But she also told him that he would be flying with Bryn two nights a week to perfect his craft. The reserves were Aaron, fourth year Brandon Troupe, and fifth year Samantha Hill.

Now that she was set at keeper and beater, Ashton had the eleven chasers tryout, putting them in many different groups to see how they flew together. Harry was surprised when only one of the returning chasers, Libby, earned a starting spot. The other two starters were sixth year Isaac Young and fourth year Dennis Howe. The four reserve spots went to fifth years Anna McKay and Mariana Prince and fourth years Pete Saban and Constance O'Sullivan.

"With Nathan starting opposite Bryn, that leaves Justin and Myles as the reserve keepers." She flipped through her notes. "All right, I think we're all set. Practice will be every Tuesday, Friday, and every other Sunday. That includes all reserves, who will dress for games and sit in the front row above the locker room. I'm going to try and squeeze more time where I can but these days are definite."

"Harry and Bryn, I'll leave it to you guys to figure out how you want to practice together. Don't let me find you're not practicing," she added an edge in her voice.

"Relax Ashton. We'll take care of it." He winked and smiled at their captain. She glared at him but her cheeks reddened a little too.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: I do not own the characters and ideas of Harry Potter save those created for my own purposes. This chapter also contains ideas and passages from the Star Wars universe, some verbatim others modified by me to fit the Harry Potter universe. I naturally do not have a stake in the Star Wars universe either. And I do not profit from writing this story in any way._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

Chapter 10

_Evil is a word used by the ignorant and the weak. The Dark Arts are about power, the power to survive, to thrive, and to dominate. It is about unleashing your inner power. It glorifies the strength of the individual. The Dark Arts have always been and existed before the first records of history came into being, in a time when magicians and sorcerers made themselves into kings…and gods…tapping the vast power of the Dark Arts. The weak-minded have ever been ready to obey one who wields great power. Those who learn the powers of the Dark Arts can exploit this weakness. Again and again the Dark Arts have surged forth, like a storm…devouring whole peoples and the entirety of the world. Those who master the Dark Arts, those who draw strength from their emotions and use magic as it was meant to be used—as a weapon—will become all powerful. And what fuels your power, what allows you to tap the power of the Dark Arts: anger, hatred, fear…these passions empower us._

—_Gwrtheyrn Lugubelenus (567-429 BC)—_

Harry Potter pushed the book away after reading this passage, scowling fearsomely at the words. How could anyone believe this trash? Glorifying exploitation and hatred as sources of power. It was disgusting.

He was tempted to destroy the book, remove its taint from the world. Then an unpleasant chill crawled up his spine. His anger was clouding his better judgment. Even if he hated this book, and the others like it sitting in the Room of Requirement, he needed them. He needed to understand as much as he could about the Dark Arts. How else could he expect to combat them?

_Damn Snape_ he thought savagely. The murderer was right. To fight the Dark Arts, one had to truly understand them, how they change and adopt depending on the wizard.

With great reluctance, Harry pulled the book back and continued reading until Madam Pince finally threw him out. Every word sat heavy in his gut, reading the philosophy of so many dark witches and wizards. Corruption on such wide scale, the enslavement of entire peoples, the perverse addiction to pain and destruction, some of these people in this book could give even Voldemort a run for his money with their infatuation with and application of the Dark Arts.

But this book was by no means sufficient to help Harry. This book gave an idea of the mental state of some of the foulest witches and wizards to ever walk the earth. But there were no spells, no rituals in the book. Harry would have to read more to find out all of that.

_What fun!_

The walk up to Ravenclaw tower gave him time to think, both a blessing and a curse. Images, some real some imaginary, flashed across his mind. He never understood the ritual and potion that Voldemort used to gain another body. He feared he would soon.

The last duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, in the heart of the Ministry, also crossed his mind. A year ago, when he recounted what had happened, Hermione's mask of fear had briefly changed to one of academic curiosity.

When Harry asked her about it one night in the library, she told him that it should have been impossible for Voldemort to transfigure Dumbledore's whip of fire. Something about Karnak's Law. Pure magic, like a spell, curse, or charm, cannot be transfigured because it is not a physical thing. Maybe one of these books would explain how Voldemort had seemingly defied a natural law.

Of course, if Hermione was right and Voldemort did defy magical law, didn't that speak to the power of the Dark Arts? How the bloody hell could Harry hope to fight Voldemort if the man could transfigure his spells? Maybe it only applied to certain spells. He could hope.

He didn't sleep well that night, tossing and turning. At five he gave it up as a bad job and took a shower and changed. He thought about going to the Room of Requirement but his stomach soured just thinking about it.

In an uncharacteristic show of integrity, Harry did his homework. He smiled, thinking Hermione would be proud of him.

Hermione. He hoped she and Ron were okay. He hoped Ginny, Neville, Luna, and all the rest were too. Were they at Hogwarts now? With him gone, were Hermione and Ron as high on Voldemort's list of enemies?

If his absence kept them safe, relatively speaking, then it was worth it. If they were with him, if God forbid they were on the run with him as he hunted Voldemort's horcruxes, they would be number two and three on Voldemort's most wanted list, after Harry of course. With him gone, they should be safe enough.

He finished the last of his homework at seven. He thought about waiting for Liam and Bryn before heading down to breakfast but he wanted some alone time. Heaving his bag over his shoulder he headed down to the Great Hall. He purposefully took a different path so he could avoid the Room of Requirement; thinking about his friends made him think more about stopping Voldemort.

But Harry didn't think he could stomach reading more, not right away. Maybe this afternoon after his classes. He could talk to Lily too when they met in the Room of Requirement before dinner.

Eating alone, it didn't take long to plow through breakfast. He was heading up to Professor Sindri's class for double Defense before his dorm mates got to the Great Hall. Again, considering his line of thinking, it was probably a blessing to have some alone time.

"Good morning Mr. Evans," said Professor Sindri when he took his seat. "You're here early."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I would get an early start to the day."

She smiled. "Good idea. You won't burn the place down if I leave you for a few minutes. I'm hungry myself."

"Of course Professor. Take your time." She smiled again and ducked out the door. Harry didn't watch her go; a telling sign of just how much was on his mind.

Professor Sindri was maybe twenty-five, blond hair with very fair skin. Her robes were black, like all professors. But they were very fine. For hormonal boys with active imaginations, they showed just enough to make them think about what was covered.

But she was more than qualified to teach. She was fresh out of the Auror training program. Harry didn't know all the specifics but Dumbledore had approached Moody asking him if he had an Auror that could teach Defense. Moody suggested Sindri. She was young but one of the most talented witches Moody had ever met. Moody hoped a year teaching would prep her to take a position of authority in the Aurors when she joined them next year.

She quickly showed her intelligence and prowess. Like her superior in the Ministry, she believed in a hands-on approach. The class spent more time practicing spells than studying theory. She assigned writings on theory and trusted the students to learn it. She would handle the rest.

What Harry liked most of all though was she refused to hold back her kids, first years or seventh years. The defensive spells she was teaching them were ones she learned in the Auror academy. She didn't teach the Dark Arts, another trait she shared with Moody, but the spells and charms they learned were still useful.

"Morning Nathan." Harry looked up to see his mum sitting next to him, James taking the desk on her other side. He smiled and greeted Nathan too.

"Morning Lily. James. Where is Sirius, Remus, and," Harry swallowed, "Peter."

James smiled a wily smile. "They'll be a little late. Some trouble with Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall. Just a misunderstanding you see." He winked.

"A misunderstanding is it. I didn't know such things existed when it came to Gryffindor and Slytherin." James chuckled. Lily glared at her boyfriend though.

"His friends found some way to portkey three Slytherins straight from their shower in to the Great Hall. James denies any role in the prank. Heaven knows how the portkeys got into the common room though. Only two other people besides the Slytherins know the password."

James looked so innocent Harry expected a halo to spring into existence above his head. "Don't you trust me love," he asked with puppy dog eyes, his lower lip trembling. Harry couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh at how great a prank that was or gag at James innocent act.

Lily tried hard to keep glaring but she melted. "Don't give me that James. Professor Dumbledore may have let you go but they all knew you helped charm the Slytherin towels into portkeys. It was an embarrassing prank."

James smiled, his innocent act dropped immediately. "Well, and this isn't admission mind you, I'd say those Slytherins deserved it. Not only were they spying on Gryffindor quidditch tryouts, they were trying to confound the good players. As a good Gryffindor, I can understand why they decided to act."

Lily rolled her eyes. She was just like Hermione; she didn't understand how much quidditch meant to the houses. It was a matter of prestige, of respect.

Seeing his smile, Lily rolled her eyes at Harry. "Don't tell me you agree with James. For goodness sake, it's just a game."

Harry didn't want to make her mad but he had to agree with his dad here. "I'm sorry Lily. Even back home, quidditch was important. I agree with James; disrespecting the honor of the team was akin to having someone slap your mother. It's something that can't be tolerated."

James beamed at Nathan, reaching behind Lily to clap him on the back. "Good man. See Lily, your cousin understands what's what. Good man."

"Just because he agrees with you James, that doesn't mean you're right." She turned to Harry, a look of astonished disappointment in her eyes. Harry just shrugged his shoulders and smiled a winning smile. She rolled her eyes but was grinning now. "You two were made for each other, let me tell you."

James looked Harry up and down then did the same to Lily. "Sorry love. You're cousins a nice guy but I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

To Harry's immense embarrassment, Lily and James started snogging. Before Harry had to gather the courage to even cough, Professor Sindri stepped in the room. She smiled and flicked her wand, sending a wave of cold water at the young lovers. The broke apart with identical shouts.

"Get a room you two. Sheesh," said Professor Sindri before either of them could blame Harry and hex him into oblivion.

More students started coming in before James and/or Lily could retort. They laughed at seeing the Head Boy and Girl soaking wet. Cursing under his breath, James waved his wand over them both, drying them completely. He scowled at Professor Sindri. She just smiled back.

"All right, it looks like everyone is hear, everyone who isn't in trouble that is." The class chuckled and smiled, remembering the prank. "Yes, it was quite funny I'll admit." She assumed a serious expression. "But not acceptable behavior. Yes, very inappropriate." She suddenly turned around. Harry suspected she had trouble keeping a straight face.

"Anyway, today we're going to be starting a new unit: shields. You all know _protego_. It was on your O.W.L. It is a good shield. Like all spells, the more focus and intent put behind the shield, the stronger it is. That said no _protego _shield could stop an unforgivable or a half dozen 'regular' hexes. So today, I'm going to introduce a new shield. Now, I'll need everyone to get to their feet so I can create a dueling area."

When the desks were moved, she asked James and Harry to put up the appropriate protection wards. That was another thing he liked about her; she gave them all every practical experience she could.

"Okay, now this shield isn't much more difficult to cast than _protego_ so you all should do well. Watch me first. After I conjure the shield, I want Lily and Severus to cast two spells of your choice. No curses meant to kill of course but everything else is fair game. You two ready." That last was meant for Lily and Severus. They nodded and stepped forward.

James and Harry glared at Snape. He didn't seem to notice; his eyes kept darting in Lily's direction.

"Okay. Here we go. _Vis loricatus!_" A pale purple sphere surrounded the Sindri. Through the haze, Harry saw her focusing intently on Lily and Snape.

"_Confringo maxima_." A large orange ball rocketed out of Lily's wand but bounced off the shield with a loud _GONG_.

"_Profundus vereor_." Harry didn't know that spell but by the gasp from Lily and the glare from James, it was bad. But the purple arrow bounced off the shield too.

Lily thought for a moment before casting her second spell. "_Veneficus conculco_." Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. That was a spell she told him about from her book. It was supposed to temporarily suppress your opponent's connection with their magic. The piercing yellow spell bounced harmlessly off the shield.

"_Lacertosus paralysis._" Harry had to restrain his father after Snape cast that last curse, which bounced off the shield just like all the others.

"Damn you Snivellus! She said no spells that could kill. What's the matter with you?" James was fighting with Harry now, trying to turn his wand on Snape.

"Stow that wand Mr. Potter," ordered Professor Sindri. She rounded on Snape. "Fifty points from Slytherin Mr. Snape and detention every night this week with Argus. And be grateful you're not suspended. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you got caught up in the heat of the moment."

Snape looked unrepentant, shrugging his shoulders as if to say _whatever_. That made James reach for his wand again and Lily look at Snape very sadly. Harry just looked blank, having no idea what spells those were.

Sindri let the class practice conjuring the shield for the rest of the period. By the end only Harry, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Snape, and a Hufflepuff girl could conjure the shield. Sindri tried to break through their shields and found Snape's and Harry's to be the strongest.

"Good job everyone. Fifteen points to Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff house for those who conjured the shield. Another fifteen to Ravenclaw Mr. Evans for such a spectacular shield. Mr. Snape, I'm not going to award you any points after you ignored my warning."

"If there are no questions, you all can go. Homework for Thursday is to write three feet on the theory behind the new shield. See you then."

James was still fuming as he put his things away. Lily didn't try to calm him down; she was just as stunned by Snape's choice of spells, especially the last.

"Why are you guys so upset," Harry asked once they were in the hall.

"What, you don't know? What's the matter with you?"

"James! It's not Nathan's fault. I wouldn't have known those spells if I hadn't read those books you gave me."

James sighed. "I'm sorry Nathan. Lily's right. To be honest, it speaks to your character that you don't know those spells. Well, the first was bad if not lethal. It forces a person to relive their deepest fear, relive it over and over again. It's just like what a dementor does before it kisses someone."

Harry shuddered both because of the spell and the fact the two people involved in his worst fear were standing right in front of him. "What's the second spell?"

James face darkened. "It causes muscular paralysis. If the curse is cast with murderous intent and focus, the curse can slow and eventually stop the beating of a person's heart. And that damn Death Eater in waiting used it on a professor. She should've booted him out of school straight away."

"James, we can't know if he intended to kill her. Even without such intentions, it is powerful curse, one that could test those shields." Lily tried to sound objective but he could tell she didn't believe a word she was saying.

James could tell the same thing too. He let the issue drop though. "I don't want to talk about Snape. I've got care of magical creatures. I'll see you two later." He gave Lily a quick peck on the lips and left.

Harry noticed how sad Lily looked. He walked over and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry Lily. It must be hard to see Snape acting that way, even now."

Lily shook her head against his chest. "That's not why I'm upset." She pulled him into an empty classroom, putting up protection and privacy wards. "Harry, I'm worried about you. Those are not complicated dark spells. The fact you haven't heard of them is distressing. When you have to fight Voldemort, you can be sure he knows plenty worse."

Harry sighed. The same thought had been running through his mind after James explained them. His first reaction also spoke volumes. "I know mum. And that's why I've spent much of my free time reading that book I took out of the room last Friday. Tonight I'm going to grab another. Whatever I have to do I'll do, until I can defeat Voldemort."

Lily almost knocked him down the way she plowed into his chest. "I don't want you die Harry! How can you possibly be ready in a year to fight him? That room can't tell you everything. I can't help you all by myself. Even with all the Marauders, we couldn't do it." She started to cry.

Harry rubbed her hair. Everything she said was true. And Harry didn't know how he'd be ready in a year. He hoped that he wouldn't have to right when he returned to his time. He hated the idea of more people dying but he hoped to train more in his time. Train so that when he finally faced that monster, he could kill him without killing himself.

Considering his life up to this point, he knew how little his intentions mattered. Fate had its own plans and Harry had his own. He would have to make do with what was left over when they collided.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I have no stake in the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes save those characters and ideas of my own invention and unique to either universe._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1.**_

_With ten chapters down, I want to thank all of you who have made this story one of their favorites and/or requested an alert. Please keep reading and reviewing and I hope you all like the story from here on out._

Chapter 11

_A rare few in this history of humanity have possessed a natural affinity for the Dark Arts. They can delve into the deepest recesses of their magical core and summon arcane energies to twist and warp the world around them. They can invoke ancient rituals of the ancient dark lords of the past; they can invoke power and unleash terrible spells and dark magics. When one gives them fully to their passions, to the power of the Dark Arts, they will realize that the magic of the Dark Arts are more than mundane acts of killing or causing destruction. A true wielder of the Dark Arts can create illusions, weapons of the most powerful sort, and exercise control on a global scale._

—_Preface to _The Path to Power _by Zhivka Bisera—_

Harry was alone in the Room of Requirement. He was exhausted from flying with Bryn, practicing beater plays and strategies. His friend had said he was insane when Harry told him he was going to the library.

But Harry needed to do more work. He was determined to learn as much as he could. He also hoped to practice some, if that blasted boggart would ever come out.

_The Path to Power _was proving a good find for Harry. It read like a textbook, outlining different types of spells and magic. Like his mum said, the two spells Snape used were among the first discussed. They were grouped with other spells and charms meant to hurt the foe or else pervert their ability to fight.

As he read the theory behind the spells, he made notes about everything he could. If he had his choice he would never cast these spells. It was a forlorn hope he knew. But if he wanted to make good on that vow, he needed know everything he could so he could counter them.

A few particularly caught his eye:

_Sollicitudo amiculum_—a charm that created a ward around the caster that made anyone who approached them feel increasingly anxious. Only those with the strongest will could ignore the cloud of anxiety and disable the ward.

_Vis contagio_—another charm that corrupted the victim's magic, creating a viral infection that ravaged their system. If it was not countered, the virus grew more powerful over time, eventually infecting the victim's magical core.

_Atrum textus redimio_—the darkest spell he studied so far. With intense focus, this spell trapped a person in a net of pure dark energy, cutting off their connection with magic. If it were not disabled, the lattices of dark energy would eventually drain the life out of a person. In a duel with limited focus and intent, the spell would just—_**just!**_—cut off the victim's connection with magic.

Before Harry could keep reading, a loud incessant ringing assaulted his ears. He closed the book and, wand at the ready, walked through the room. After a couple minutes, he realized the sound was coming from behind that one door he noticed before.

A little apprehensively, he opened the door. Then he realized it was the same circular room with the portraits of his friends. All of them were still stationary, except for Neville's. Watching the portrait, Harry didn't even notice the ringing had stopped.

He first thought Neville's portrait was the Gryffindor common room, but then he noticed that as the portrait Neville walked around, different things just came into being. Neville was in the Room of Requirement.

He reached out and touched the portrait, part of him hoping to be pulled through.

But nothing happened. The portrait Neville just kept looking around the room silently, requesting things. Only when he stepped in front of the fire did Harry notice how horribly beat up he was. He was bleeding profusely from cuts on both arms and on his chest. His nose was obviously broken and he had a nasty shiner.

Rage bubbled up in Harry's gut. _Who had done these things to his friend?_

Harry was so engrossed in watching Neville he didn't hear someone firing a torturing curse at him. The curse whizzed by his ear and slammed into the stone wall.

Harry dropped to the floor, firing a stunner out the door and conjuring the purple shield Sindri had taught them before he knew what was happening or whom he was fighting.

"Get up Potter," called a familiar haughty, superior voice. Harry slowly walked out of the portrait chamber, his eyes searching for his foe. It didn't take long to spot Malfoy, leaning against one of the boulders in the chamber, wand twitching in anticipation.

_How did Malfoy get here?_ But then he saw it, out of the corner of his eye. The wardrobe that held the boggart was finally open. But why was he fighting Malfoy?

His eyes darkened. It hardly mattered. He hated Malfoy, hated him for being weak and following his father into the Death Eaters. He hated him for letting the Death Eaters into the castle, for letting them almost kill his friends and disfigure Bill.

Malfoy seemed to know what he was thinking. He stood tall; he was a good four inches taller than Harry. "Enough stalling Potter. You think you know about pain. That you've got nothing to lose. You know nothing of pain, nothing of loss."

Malfoy jumped to the side, avoiding Harry's leg-locker curse. "Is that the best you can do Potter," he sneered. "You're pathetic. You sit and brood about how dreadfully unfair your life has been. You think you're a martyr. You know _nothing _about pain."

"And you do? You're a bloody pampered bastard! You made your choices Malfoy. You could've changed, could've been a better person. _Sectumsempra_!"

Malfoy conjured a purple shield like Harry's, deflecting the spell easily. "Is that what you think Potter? What would you have done if the roles were reversed? I made my choices, yes. But I have no regrets. I expect nothing for the world. The world is cruel, something that you haven't grasped."

The two teens just stared at one another, Harry hearing Malfoy's words but not registering them in any meaningful way. He had only hatred for Malfoy, heard only the rationalizations of a Death Eater.

Again, as if he understood Harry's thoughts, the boggart Malfoy scowled fearsomely. "You refuse to listen Potter. And that is why you will never defeat the Dark Lord. Longbottom understands. You just saw him beaten and bloodied. But he is not broken. His spirit is still strong. Despite the horrors the Carrows are visiting on the students, Longbottom expects nothing from the world, expects nothing from _fate_. He does not adapt to the world; he forces the world to adapt to him. Why the Dark Lord didn't try to kill him all those years ago I'll never understand. Longbottom is the real wizard, even if it took time for him to mature."

"But we can talk later Potter. The Room has decided you are ready for your first test. I disagree but it is not my decision to make. Now you and I will fight. If you can defeat me, you'll be better for it and I will answer all your questions, all those I can answer anyway. Do not hold back Potter. I will use all my knowledge to defeat you. This duel will continue unto one of us is disarmed."

Without waiting for a reply, Malfoy sent a _confringo _curse at Harry's feet, forcing the Boy-Who-Lived to dive out of the way. Not wanting to open himself up to attack, he dove backwards. When he looked up, Malfoy was gone.

Harry cast another purple shield and reinforced it with a _protego_. Then he tapped his head twice, muttering _vis exaudio _and _veneficus os_. His hearing and sight improved tenfold. The spells left him slightly drained, like his mum said, but not much. He was sure Malfoy had silenced himself but Harry could hear his steps loud and clear.

"Stupefy!" The red stunner missed Malfoy who jumped out of the way.

Malfoy silently fired three fireballs. Not expecting the barrage, Harry's shield only held back the first two. The third broke his purple dome but was too weak to breach the _protego _shield. Harry jumped behind a boulder just as Malfoy's _crucio _shattered the weaker shield.

Under protection, Harry cursed himself. He should've cast his curse silently. His mum had said as much. He could hear Malfoy poking his way around the boulders, still invisible. Mimicking Malfoy, Harry disillusioned and silenced himself. Than he remembered something from that muggle book he read _The Art of War_:

_All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him._

The best deception he could think of would be to transfigure another Harry and attack Malfoy when he attacked the fake. But he didn't know how to do that kind of transfiguration. _Have to ask Lily. It'd be better if I could ask James or Professor McGonagall though_.

Well, he'd worry about that later. Right now he had to finish Malfoy. Looking over a different boulder, he noticed Malfoy had gone the wrong way and was twenty yards away. He was searching around the boulders and looking in crevasses to spot Harry.

Noticing some medium size pebbles and rocks on the ground a few yards away from Malfoy, he figured out something he could do. He sent a powerful rush of wind at the pebbles, shaking them enough to make it sound like someone was stepping through them. Malfoy jerked his head towards the sound and fired three quick curses (stunner, blasting hex, and crucio).

The git smiled smugly, thinking he had Harry down. He only put up a small shield as he approached where he thought Harry lay.

The Boy-Who-Lived smiled, waving his wand over his chest. "Amplio propero." When Malfoy stepped out in the open, Harry silently cast _veneficus conculco_. Unsure how fast he could move Harry waited two seconds before running after the yellow curse.

He timed it brilliantly. The yellow arrow shattered Malfoy's shield and hit him in the chest a bare second before Harry ran past, throwing a haymaker that sent Malfoy to the ground hard.

Harry had to duck behind a boulder for a minute. That charm to increase his speed drained him worse than any of the others. He looked over at Malfoy smiling. He could afford a break because Malfoy couldn't do any magic. The git was trying to heal his broken nose and staunch the bleeding for the gash on his forehead but none of the spells worked.

When he was ready, Harry disillusioned and silenced himself again and approached Malfoy. But the snake had wised up. He was trying to look for Harry, even if he couldn't attack. But he was too slow. Harry's disarming spell hit him right in the chest, sending him flying back in a heap. Harry summoned the wand and pocketed it.

The boggart Malfoy started smoking. Harry had his wand at the ready, waiting for a new attack. But when the smoke settled, Malfoy was still there but his wounds were healed. He was scowling at Harry but didn't look ready to attack.

"Congratulations Potter. You've passed your first test. I hope you'll forgive me, but I didn't expect you to pull it off."

"Why did you fight as Malfoy? Why not Voldemort?"

"Don't be so quick to die Potter. You did well against me but you're nowhere near ready to fight Voldemort, even a boggart Voldemort. Based on your request, the Room has decided you will pass through a series of tests, gradually building up to Voldemort. Something must have triggered the Room to believe you were ready for the first test."

"What could've triggered that? And why is the Room acting independently?"

"I cannot answer the first question Potter. Suffice it to say the intentions of the creator are unknown even to me. Your second question is easily answered though. Tell me Potter, how do you think this room works?"

Harry was a little surprised by the question. "Well, as far as I can tell it creates things that helps the user. It provided me with the dueling chamber, the books, and the boggart—you."

"Close Potter but wrong. The room creates nothing. It uses its magic to recreate things that already exist. Moreover, it takes the users request and reasons what he or she wants. The more specific the request the less it reasons but this room is capable of independent thought."

"You asked for a room to help you prepare for the Dark Lord. That is very vague. But using your thoughts, memories, and magic it determined the best way to meet your request. The same applies to that room of portraits that I almost ambushed you in earlier."

"But why can't it create food or drink? Or why couldn't it recreate swimming pool when Fred and George requested one during one of our D.A. meetings?

Malfoy scowled. "The Room is not a toy Potter. If the user does not an urgent reason for requesting something, the creator will not waste her time or her magic on such frivolities. As for food or drink, the creator has immense respect for the laws of magic and is well versed in all of them. She is powerful but even she cannot break fundamental laws of magic, which includes the transfiguration of food from nothing."

"'She?' Who is the creator?"

"Think about it Potter? This room is capable of independent thought, its magic can recreate almost anything, so long as it knows what it is and the user truly needs it? To create this room, someone would not only have to magically powerful but incredibly knowledgeable of all things magic. Does that sound like anyone you've heard of Potter?"

Harry thought for a moment, earning an exasperated sigh from Malfoy. Then it hit him. "Ravenclaw. Rowena Ravenclaw created this room."

Malfoy clapped derisively. "Very good Potter. Rowena Ravenclaw created the Room of Requirement when she was Headmistress, after Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin were dead. I do not presume to know for sure, but if I had to wager, she created this room for people like you and your friends, people to practice magic and hone their abilities. Of course I'm sure she isn't opposed to your friend Neville using the Room as a safe haven."

"You mentioned Neville earlier, and the Carrows. What's happening at Hogwarts now?"

"Voldemort has appointed Snape Headmaster and the Carrows as professors of DADA and Muggle Studies. The Carrows are violent, authorizing the use of the _cruciatus_ on students who too strongly oppose Voldemort. Your friend Neville, you'll be proud to know, is the new leader of Dumbledore's Army."

Really? Neville is the leader?" He couldn't see Neville taking such a stand.

"Yes Potter, Longbottom is the leader. He models himself after you in fact. Lord knows why, but he believes you are a hero. With you gone and your friends still too stunned to act, he has decided to lead the rebellion against the Carrows."

"How do you know all of this? It's in the future."

"Easy Potter. Neville is using the room in the future and you've requested a way to connect with your friends. That is a tricky piece of magic. Under normal circumstances it would be impossible. But as is your way, you have once again broken all magical precedent. Your presence in this universe essentially connects two separate universes. Because you are the link between the two, Ravenclaw can use her magic to let you see your friends in the future. She is essentially retransmitting your future back to you. Incredible feat as I'm sure you'll agree but doable. Your portraits will be stationary until those people enter the Room of Requirement. After that, you'll be able to watch them whenever you wish. That is the only way Ravenclaw can let you see your friends."

"Why do they have to enter the Room first?"

"She needs to identify their present magical signature. Otherwise all you'd see is the past, which is not what you requested. See how it works Potter?"

He didn't, not entirely but he understood enough. He was furious that Snape was Headmaster and was letting professors torture the students. He vowed to make the slimy git pay.

"Settle down Potter. Before you start plotting how best to kill Snape, I suggest you think long and hard about what the sorting hat told you a few weeks ago. There is more at work here than you know. You must learn to look at all the angles."

Harry snorted. "So what happens now," he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going back into the wardrobe. Continue to practice with your mother and whomever else you can. Read the books and practice as many spells as you can, including the dark spells." He held up a hand to forestall the argument. "I'm serious Potter. I understand your desire to keep your hands clean but that won't work against Voldemort and some of his darker underlings. You may have to use some dark spells to get an edge. I don't know if Ravenclaw will let me out again until you learn some of those spells. She might not."

"Who're you going to come out as?"

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. If I had to wager, it won't be another student. There isn't another student at your level. That said it might not necessarily be a Death Eater either. We'll just have to wait and see."

"But like I said, you need to be ready. You can't die in this room; her wards won't allow it. But you can be hurt, maybe to the point you can't recover. And you won't know when the next fight is coming, just as you didn't know this fight was coming. That is part of your training."

The boggart Malfoy got to his feet with a grunt. "All right, it's getting late. I'd suggest you sleep here tonight. You need rest after our duel. Use the wand to lock me in the wardrobe before you do though."

After Malfoy stepped into the wardrobe, Harry closed the door and stuck the wand in the lock. He didn't go to bed right away though. He wanted to see how Neville was. His friend was sleeping on a couch. All of his injuries were healed, which made Harry feel better.

When he wasn't looking, the room had created a bed for him. Harry had trouble sleeping though. He hoped his friends were okay. Hearing that they were being tortured inside Hogwarts was like a knife to his soul. The last thing he saw before going to sleep was Snape's face, staring dispassionately at the students being tortured.

_**A/N: My rationale for the portraits is based off my interpretation of time presented in chapter 1. Because Harry is point where the two universes merge, Ravenclaw can send information from the present to the second universe through Harry. It is not a perfect system though and she can only send information through the portraits. As Malfoy says, this is an otherwise impossible feat but because Harry's presence has already connected the two universes, Ravenclaw can take advantage of the link and fulfill Harry's request.**_

_**The same principle applies to the boggart Malfoy, just in a different way. Instead of transmitting the magic through a portrait, it is manifested in a boggart. Once again, Harry is the link through which the information is being sent. **_

_**If any of you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave your question in a review or send me a private message. As is always the case, I love to hear from each and everyone of you.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: I do not own any of the characters or ideas in the Harry Potter or Star Wars Universes save those of my own creation._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 12

"This is unbelievable Harry."

It was the day after his duel against the boggart Draco Malfoy. Lily had been really proud of how well he had done, though he could tell she was a little leery about the boggart telling him he would have to learn dark magic to proceed.

Since he shared those same reservations, he decided to change the subject and showed her the portrait chamber. Neville's picture was still the only one moving. But now his friend was in the Great Hall instead of the room.

Looking at what Snape and the Carrows had done to the Great Hall, Harry almost wished he friend had stayed in the room.

The only banners flying in the Hall were the green and silver of Slytherin. The students had all been sorted, even the first years. They didn't talk much though, picking at their food, eyes darting up at the high table every few seconds. The Carrows were pacing the raised platform, watching the students closely.

Ignoring the fat and dumpy twins or whatever the hell they were, Harry took a closer look around the hall. Except for the Slytherins, there were students at every table nursing some injury or another. For instance, Ernie Macmillan had a broken arm. Harry wondered what kind of curse prevented Madam Pomfrey healing it in an instant. Or maybe Snape and the Carrows wanted "traitors" to suffer.

Seeing he was angry, Lily rubbed his back gently. It settled him down somewhat, or at least brought him back to reality. He hated seeing what was happening to his school, to his first home. He hated knowing that it was probably worse than just the missing banners in the Great Hall and a few minor injuries. The horrible condition Neville was in last night was a testament to that.

But what he really hated, all of a sudden, was being here. A few nights ago he thought his friends would be safer now with him missing and that made his absence worth it. But this…this was something else entirely. His friends may less likely to be killed. But they were still suffering. And what was their best friend, the supposed savior of the magical world doing. Well he was cavorting around a castle still perfectly safe, safe from the Carrows, from Snape, and from Voldemort.

He turned away from the portrait in disgust. He wanted the whole damn room gone now. He thought he wanted to see his friends. But he was wrong. This was torture.

"Harry," called Lily tentatively. He didn't respond. He just collapsed in a chair, his head in his hands. He felt her sit on the arm of the chair. She rubbed his back again; it was soothing but he was still furious.

"I need to get out of here," he mumbled softly. He had thought his voice was muffled enough by his hands but Lily heard.

She sighed. "I know you want to Harry but you're here for a reason. You're here to prepare so when you go back you can fight and that monster and win."

Harry shook his head, disrupting his mum's hand for a second. "It's not right."

Lily nodded, thinking she understood what he meant. "I know it isn't right Harry but it isn't your fault. It's You-Know-Who…" She broke off when Harry shook his head more forcefully.

"That's not it. I just hate seeing my friends suffer, especially when I'm safe. And they're suffering because of me." He threw his hands down and started pacing.

"Harry, they are not suffering because of you. What do you think would be happening if you and your friends had been on the run, hunting those weapons you told me about when you first arrived? Hogwarts would still be suffering. Ron and Hermione would be in greater danger than they are now."

"I know this isn't what you wanted to see. But you have to understand that this is You-Know-Who's doing, not your own. That monster had plans and would have gone through with them regardless. Even with the best will in the world, which I know you have, you couldn't have stopped him without learning more."

Harry stopped pacing, his back to Lily. She walked over and hugged him, not as forcefully as Molly would've done but still well. Awkwardly, he turned around in her arms and returned the embrace.

"You're right of course. I'm not ready, even now. I couldn't have stopped Voldemort. It still hurts to see them. I'm starting to regret asking for that damn room."

Lily didn't say anything. She didn't really know what she could say. In a way she agreed with him; the portrait room upset him now with just one portrait active. What would happen when he could see all of his friends?

She stifled the urge to shudder. Maybe that was the Room's plan. Show Harry what was happening to his friends would make him drive harder to save them. But that seemed so callous. It was also risky. She already sensed a darkness in him. If that fire is stroked, what will happen after Harry's uses his new knowledge and defeats Voldemort? He couldn't unlearn everything.

She couldn't stop herself from shuddering now. She felt Harry look down at her but she couldn't meet his eyes. All of a sudden she was afraid for him in a completely different way. And now she too wished that damn portrait room would just disappear.

After a few minutes had passed, Harry let Lily go. "We should go down to dinner. I'll bet James is looking for you," he said with a smile.

They walked down to the Great Hall in silence, both their minds running along parallel tracks. "Do you think James could tutor me in Transfiguration," he asked quite suddenly, surprising Lily. She actually had to think about the question a minute; she hadn't really noticed they weren't alone. She thought he was talking about class work.

When she understood what he was asking, she smiled broadly, thinking Harry was opening up to the idea of confiding in James as he had confided in her. "Of course he would. You could ask him after dinner if you want."

His eyes widened. He pulled her to the side of the hall, waving his wand in an arc, casting _muffliato_. "I didn't mean…we don't have to start so soon." He looked flustered.

"Why wait?"

"Well first, the only viable place to practice is the Room of Requirement. I'm not ready for him to see that chamber yet. Even so, how do I explain how I know about the Room? 'Yeah James, I just happened to walk past the same stretch of hallway three times thinking the same thing.' I don't think he'd buy that."

Lily hadn't thought of that but an idea quickly came to her. "I'll take care of that. All you and he would need to do would be to meet me by the statue. You'd have to act surprised of course."

Harry hadn't expected her to be so enthusiastic about this. Then he understood, or thought he understood, why she was so gun ho. "Lily, just because I work with James on Transfiguration, it doesn't mean I'll open up to him. You understand that right."

She just smiled and Harry could tell she had already made up her mind. "Of course Nathan."

He looked around—the students were still pouring into the Great Hall, no one paying attention to Harry and Lily. "Mum," he said, lowering his voice despite the ward, "please don't push James and I closer. I know you want that. I do to. But he and I need to build some trust with one another first."

Lily sighed. She wanted to do just as Harry said and push them together. But not if Harry would be uncomfortable. He needed James for more than just spiritual purposes. James was probably the third best practitioner of Transfiguration in the castle after Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"So how what's your plan to show James the Room of Requirement?"

"Well, it won't just be James we show," she began hesitantly. Harry looked blank but then shook his head forcefully when he understood what she was saying.

"Absolutely not. It is hard enough for me approach James. The other Marauders cannot help."

Lily just shrugged, taking down his ward. "Come, we better get into the Great Hall. Just come by the table after dinner and chat up James. Ask him for help. He'll be happy too. He's been talking me ear off since you asked about Severus' curses; he thinks you need help but didn't want to push. Bring up your tough schedule and how hard it will be to work with him. I'll say I have an idea and bring you all up to the Room."

"Isn't that a little convenient?"

Lily just smiled. "Don't worry about it." She lowered her voice down to the barest whisper. "Mama will handle everything." Harry blushed furiously, looking around to make sure no one overheard. She chuckled and walked into the Hall. Harry followed, shaking his head. Voldemort may be his mortal enemy, but the way she acted sometimes, Lily Evans would probably be the death of him.

He was distracted throughout dinner, not really paying attention to his friends. Even after only a few weeks together, they were used to him going into his own world every now and again and they would leave him alone. It was refreshing actually. He loved Hermione and Ron but sometimes they wanted to talk too much. He needed some time to think now and again but seldom got it.

The hall cleared out gradually as the students ate and left. When the Gryffindor table was basically empty, Harry went over to sit by Lily and the others. Sirius smiled and waved as he approached. "What's doing Nathan," he said, motioning to Peter and Remus to slide over and give Harry a spot. Eyes focused straight ahead, Harry sat between the two Marauders.

"How are you Nathan," asked Remus kindly.

"Doing all right. Little tired." He shrugged. "Ashton has us running ragged."

James perked up, leaning forward fractionally. "What's she doing to you mate? Must bad to make you so tired." He sounded sympathetic and sincere. Harry didn't take the bait.

"Pumping a Ravenclaw for information James. Not a very _wise_ move I think."

James looked nonplussed but recovered with a smile. "Hey, it's worth a try. We all know it'll be us playing for the cup again. Need all the information we can get." He looked sly, as if thinking how best to get information on the Ravenclaw team.

Under the table, Harry flicked his wand transfiguring his robes into just a white towel with the Gryffindor insignia. Lily practically had to lay on his shoulders to keep him from jumping up in surprise. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were howling with laughter, drawing the notice of the professors and other students still eating. McGonagall saw a near naked James and was about to come yell at them but Dumbledore held her back, eyes twinkling.

Face beet red, James transfigured his clothes back to normal. He scowled at Harry, who was looking back at him with no expression. "You did that didn't you?"

"Ay that I did. Figured you needed a remainder of what can happen if you poke your nose into another other team's Quidditch playbook," he said smiling, taking the sting out of the prank.

James tried to glare at him but he ended up smiling too. "Okay, what brings you over here. Besides teaching this old lion to keep his nose clean." Lily gave him a discreet nod, barely moving her head. _Go ahead and ask_.

"I was actually wondering if you could tutor me some in Transfiguration."

"Help is it." He looked at Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, catching their eye. "Yeah, I can I suppose. When would you want to get together?"

Harry outlined his schedule. James frowned and looked at Sirius and Remus again. Harry didn't know what they were thinking but he hoped they weren't going to refuse.

After about a minute, he turned back to Harry. 'That's kind of tough. There aren't many times we're both free and the times we are there isn't enough to get much done. There's also the problem of where we can work. You and I are too far apart to make it worth going to the empty classrooms on the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors. Take too much time."

"What about the Shrieking Shack," suggested Sirius. Harry paled a little, trying not to look at Remus. He was relieved when James shook his head.

"That would take to long too. OW!" Lily had pinched his arm. "What I meant to say was sneaking off the grounds is wrong," he amended, rubbing his arm.

"I have an idea actually," said Lily. "I mean, I may. I don't know enough about the room."

"What room," asked all four Marauders simultaneously "All the rooms in Hogwarts are…"

"Wormtail," hissed Sirius and James threateningly.

"We've been in all the rooms in the school," he finished lamely.

"You may have missed one, if Thomas and his girlfriend Deanna told me the truth anyway."

"What're you talking about," asked Sirius. He sounded offended that Lily would suggest they didn't know the school inside and out.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Honestly Sirius, you don't know all the secrets in this castle. Not even Dumbledore does and he has lived in the castle for basically the last eight decades."

Sirius wasn't convinced but James overruled his friend, asking Lily what she had heard. "About a week and a half ago when I was patrolling the halls with the Slytherin sixth year prefects, I caught Thomas and Deanna trying to sneak through the Great Hall and down to their common room. When I asked then what they had been doing, they said something about the 'come-and-go' room."

"What the hell is the 'come-and-go' room? I've never heard of it," said Sirius.

"Me either. Are you sure you heard that right Lily," asked Remus.

Lily nodded. "I asked them how they found out about it. I was skeptical because they said the house-elves told them about it. But I checked it out. Hermy told me the room was real and how to get in. I haven't tried it yet, partially because I still don't think it's real. If it is, I would think it would work for you guys."

James looked highly suspicious, just as Harry had feared. "Lily, this sounds way too convenient. You're telling me you kept this to yourself, didn't even test it." He rounded on Harry. "Do you know about this room?"

Harry shook his head but before he could press Harry, Lily huffed impatiently and pulled James head down to whisper in his ear. His eyebrows rose with each passing second until they almost reached his hairline. He was also smiling. When Lily pulled back he turned his head and gave her a look that basically translated to _I want you now_.

Harry suffered a well-timed coughing fit before things could go further. James all but jumped to his feet to head upstairs. The Marauders shook their heads, imagining what Lily had told James to make him so excited. Harry thought he knew. Sure enough, the smug look on Lily's face practically screamed _I told you mama would take care of it_. Harry doffed an imaginary hat. She had done it.

Harry looked suitably surprised when Lily created a room to practice in. True to form, Ravenclaw provided a shelf of books on Transfiguration and another dueling chamber, though far smaller than Harry's. The other Marauders were all floored. James was too but he also wanted to test the room himself. They all left and James paced in front of the wall, practically running in his haste to create a room.

When he opened the door, a wave of incense poured out into the hall, the cloud making it hard to see what was in the room. "Merlin Prongs, what in the blazes did you ask for," asked Sirius, waving his hand to disperse the fog of jasmine and holly.

James just eyed Lily mischievously. "James, I didn't mean right now." She sounded deliciously scandalized. But the way she threw himself into her arms betrayed her intentions. The two almost fell to the floor as they snogged their way into the room. Harry, Sirius, Remus, and Peter got a look a beautiful king-size bed decked out in Gryffindor colors with a translucent gold canopy before James kicked the door closed.

"We'll start tomorrow Nathan," called James voice as the door slammed shut.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: I do not own the characters or ideas of the Harry Potter and Star Wars universes save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 13

"Hold up Nat," yelled Bryn, though Harry could barely hear him with the wind.

His friend flew across the pitch, twirling his bat. His look told Harry he was going to tell him he was doing something wrong; he'd be nice about it but it would amount to the same thing.

Sure enough, he leveled off and sighed, still twirling his bat. "All right Nat, you've come a long way since try-outs. You're a top notch flyer, probably the best in the school, and you'll give the Slytherin chasers fits when we face off next week."

"But?"

Bryn sighed. "But you're still not aggressive enough. You're disrupting every target I set up, but that's it. You're just disrupting them."

Harry was confused. "Well, what's wrong with that? I mean, isn't that the point of the targets."

Bryn shook his head. "It's not enough. On each, I've put a piece of jewelry or some other accessory, a smaller target within a target if you will. I hoped you would eventually start aiming for the smaller targets but you haven't. You need to start."

Harry summoned one of the targets Bryn had created. It was essentially a mannequin charmed to levitate for a brief period of time like it was a person on a broom. Harry had routinely disrupted the mannequin, forcing it to change trajectory. He hadn't hit one though. And he had noticed Bryn's jewelry. But it was always on vulnerable parts of the body, like the wrist or the head. He couldn't bring himself to risk hurting someone. But it sounded like that was what Bryn wanted.

When he explained why he was hesitant, Bryn sighed again. Harry didn't much care for the condescending look. "Nat, it's not so much that I want you to hurt anyone. Rather, the smaller target is to help you focus. Three years ago, when I became a starter, Tiny…"

"Tiny," asked Harry with a smirk.

"Don't laugh; Ashton's older brother gave him the nickname in their first year. He's about 6' 6'', 285 pounds. Lord knows how a broom held him in the air. But he was a phenomenal beater. And the first thing he told me when I made the team was work on my aim. 'Aim small miss small' was his phrase. If you aim for a person and miss you'll miss big. At best you'll throw off their timing on the play, like you do. But you also run the risk hurting a person more than if you aim properly."

"How?"

"If you aim for James Potter, you'll probably miss because he's so damn quick. If you do hit him, you could hit anywhere from his head to his feet. But if you aim for his glasses—which I wouldn't advise—or his watch, you'll almost assuredly hit him. He always carries the quaffle in his right hand and holds his broom with his left, or the hand with the watch. Aim for that watch, you stand a very good chance of hitting the quaffle when he races past, jarring it out of his grasp. It's not a guarantee mind you, but that's usually how it works for me."

"And you really shouldn't worry about hurting people. Madam Pomfrey may be new, but she's easily the best healer Hogwarts has had since that one Headmistress who came over from St. Mungos. Plus we have Dumbledore. There's no way you'll hurt anyone too bad."

Harry nodded. To make sure his point was driven home, Bryn continued, "Remember that Ashton will do and say far worse if you don't play hard during the match. I've been able to keep her off your back after practice, telling her you don't want to hurt the starters. But with the game so close, she won't put up with that one. Last year, she actually yelled at one of my partners because he didn't send one of our chasers to the hospital wing during practice. And this was a practice before a game mind you."

Bryn insisted they stay out and practice for another hour, making sure Harry focused on increasingly smaller ornaments. With his seeker experience, spotting the ornaments was easy enough. Anticipating the mannequins' flight and lining himself up with the bludger was a whole different problem. At the end of the hour, three of every ten bludgers were hitting the mannequins within six inches of the ornament.

"You did great Nat, better than I expected," his friend said as the headed up to the castle for lunch. "I doubt we'll need to work one-on-one again; normal practice should be enough."

The Slytherin team passed the two Ravenclaws, staring malevolently. Harry and Bryn returned the glares. "We couldn't get time anyway. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are playing the week after us. Between the four houses, this week the pitch will be jumping from dawn to dusk."

Bryn nodded. "Yeah, you're right there. Ashton has us practicing just about everyday from Monday through game day. Can't say I blame her."

Over lunch, Liam and Ben talked about the up coming match. Harry chimed in but otherwise kept quiet. It was never his style to hype up a game he was playing in. After the game he'd join in every discussion, but not before.

After lunch, Harry said goodbye to his roommates, citing a trip to made-up trip to Dumbledore's office to talk about his plans for Thanksgiving break in November. If possible, his parents wanted to see on that day and maybe more if he could get away from class. The story wasn't perfect but his friends didn't question it. When he was out of sight from his friends, he ducked through a few tapestries and took a couple concealed staircases up to the Room of Requirement.

James, Lily, and Remus were already waiting. Harry blushed at the sight of his parents, just now remembering what they had been about to do the previous day. Lily blushed at the sight of Harry's embarrassment. He imagined it was embarrassing for any parent to be caught in the…_act _by the child at any age. To be caught by your same-age son, who fully understood what was going on, must have been even more embarrassing.

Remus, infinitely more perceptive then James, broke the awkward silence. "Good to see you Nathan. Hope you don't mind my joining you guys, but James thought I could help you some. If you don't mind," he added quickly.

Harry was hesitant to let him help but it wouldn't help things with James to turn him away. Besides, he missed Remus—the Remus from his time that is to say—and if he was honest to himself, he wanted to spend time with him just as much as his mum and dad.

"Of course Remus. I'm surprised Sirius and…" he gulped, "Peter aren't here."

"Ah. Well, Padfoot and Wormtail will be spending the afternoon and evening with Filch." Remus looked bemused while James just smiled. Even Lily was smiling.

"What did they do?"

James spoke before his friend could. "It seems someone had been giving certain students with detention potions to make them horribly sick or break out in hives. Other things too. Anyway, it seems some people named names…named _false _names I should say. Poor Padfoot and Wormtail are innocent but our distinguished head of house believes otherwise. She gave them detention for the night."

"Sick and break out in hives. Clever." He caught himself just before he mentioned the twin's skiving snack boxes. It seemed the twins were more like the Marauders than anyone could've guessed. When he returned to his own time, he'd ask Professor McGonagall who she thought was worse to handle.

_After I take care of that pesky dark wizard of course_ Harry thought, chiding himself.

"All right guys, let's get into the room before anyone comes around," said Lily. She let go of James' hand and paced in front of the wall creating the same room she had the other day. She stood by Harry when they were all in, letting James and Remus set up.

Harry was surprised to see them adding to the dueling chamber, James transfiguring some impressive obstacles from thin air. Remus was less skilled, conjuring smaller things like rocks and the like and then transfiguring them into larger obstacles.

When he was satisfied, James asked Harry to join him in the center of the chamber. "All right Nat. You don't mind if I call you Nat?" Harry shook his head. "Good. Now, the best way I think you learn anything is by actually doing it. Considering where you're at in Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense, I think that's how you learn too. So that is what we are going to do here. I asked Remus to join us because I'm already working with him and Sirius and Peter and because he'll be able to spar with you. I know you don't believe it, but you and he aren't too far removed for one another in terms of transfiguration skills."

"To begin, I want you to run through this little obstacle course he and I created." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's more of a circuit with stations. At each station, I'm going to ask you perform a different transfiguration. Some you know, like animation. Others are new. I'll give you the directions and you go to work. Depending on how long it takes you, we'll see if we have time for a duel between you and Remus using different transfiguring spells. You understand."

"I do."

"Good. Lily will keep time. At my mark, start at the first station. When you're done, follow me to the next and so on."

And so it began. Harry breezed through the first three stations, animating rocks to dance or flip and breaking off small fragments and transfiguring them into arrows or shields. After that, things were a little harder. He needed to transfigure things from thin air, increasingly larger objects starting with a spear to a dog. They forced him to concentrate harder and focus on the spell and what he needed to transfigure.

At the sixth station, James taught him his first new spell. "All right Nat, you're doing outstanding actually. Now, for this one I want you to break that boulder into three even parts and transfigure each into a suit of armor. When you've transfigured them, point your wand at one and work in an arc, commanding each to defend you. The incantation is _vallo mihi_. Focus on each suit of armor as you pass over it with your wand."

"Is that it?"

James shook his head. "No. Be quick because Remus, Lily, and I are going to start firing stunners at you. You'll need to use one suit of armor to block each of our curses. I'd suggest you keep them protected because they need to last through five curses."

Harry thought this was insane. He wanted him to master a new spell that quick. Seeing his apprehension, James clapped him on his shoulder. "Don't be worried mate. You'll be fine. Just make sure you keep a tight focus on each suit of armor, not on yourself."

Harry thought his dad was nuts. But he did as he asked. It was quick work breaking up the boulder and creating the three suits of armor. But it took three tries to cast a suitable _vallo mihi_. After the third, he felt three equal tugs from his gut, as if pulling him towards a suit of armor. He had barely a second to figure out how to shield one before James cast his first stunner. What felt like a surge of magic fired through his gut, making the suit of armor glow a pale blue and jump in front of the curse. It bounced of its chest but the _portego _shield collapsed.

Remus and Lily sent their first stunners but Harry had enough time to put up the purple shield, though it left him much more drained than a _portego_ shield. After each had cast their first barrage, they sped up, sending stunners at different intervals, increasingly speeding up the rate. Harry lost one suit of armor to Lily's fourth stunner. They each sent their fifth at him at the same time. Magically exhausted, Harry banished each remaining suit into a curse. He only put a shield on one. When it hit the curse, he summoned it to his side, making it dive. Its outstretched hands intercepted the curse just before it hit Harry.

Tired beyond all doubt, Harry collapsed to his knees. He heard someone running towards him, knew it was his mum when he felt a pair of soft hands rubbing his back.

"Here Nat, drink some water," said James kindly. As Harry drank, he plopped down across from him. "You were unbelievable, better then I did on my first try."

Harry coughed, some of his strength returning. "One of the suits was destroyed," he said, shaking his head.

"I know. To be fair I didn't expect you to last until the end with even one. That spell is very tiring, especially the first time you cast it because you're unfamiliar with the focus necessary to power the spell properly. You're so tired because you didn't mentally focus enough. You had to compensate with magic. You'll get better with practice."

Harry didn't notice him share an unspoken word with Lily, asking if he should push Harry. Lily nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Okay, if you're ready, I want to teach you one more spell. We'll save the duel for later."

Harry got to his feet a little shakily but got to them he did. "I'm good. What's next?" He didn't see James and Remus privately eye him with respect, remembering how hard that spell had been on them the first time they used it.

"I'm going to teach you how to create an illusion." He smiled at Harry's confused look. "No, I'm serious. And no, it's not easier than transfiguring something real, at least not if you want to create a realistic illusion."

James pointed his wand over Harry's shoulder. In spite of himself, Harry summoned his mum to him just as a towering man stabbed a knife through the air where her head had been. The killer disappeared as if it had never been. Harry turned back to see James with his hands on his knees, panting hard.

"See," he said after about a minute. "It's not easy. Now, for you we're going to start small. Whatever you think you can do, go nuts. Just don't push yourself."

"What's the incantation?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Think about whatever you want. Get your mind focused only on that thing. Then wave your wand and say _ingenero_. Just don't overdue it."

Harry thought of what would work. He was still tired from the last exercise. At the same time, he wanted to impress his dad. He tried to think of something small he would like. Then it hit him. Focusing as hard as he could on something special from his own time, he pointed his wand over James's left shoulder and muttered _ingenero_. Even such a little trinket left him drained by he smiled at how real it looked. He even heard it flapping its wings.

James wasn't deaf to the new sound either. He looked over his shoulder just after Harry lifted the snitch over his head. He followed the sound until it was right over his bangs. He instinctively tried to catch it but his hand went right through. Harry couldn't hold the illusion any longer and it just disappeared.

James and Lily both beamed at him. Remus clapped him on the shoulder. "Very good Nat. James hasn't even taught me that spell."

Lily came over and gave him a hug. Over her head, James nodded approvingly. "Good job," he said. In his mum's arms and with his father praising him in his ears, Harry felt better then he ever had.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I do not own the characters belonging to either the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

_I want to thank all of you have taken the time to read my story and who have left me reviews. Thanks to all of you who have made it one of your favorite stories or requested an alert._

Chapter 14

_Two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead._

—_Karl von Clausewitz—_

It was two nights before the first match of the season—Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin. Ashton had put the team through an ungodly thorough practice, mostly because she couldn't reserve the pitch for the day before the game. Gryffindor and Slytherin beat her to the punch.

Harry was indebted to Bryn too. Ashton had quickly descended on him in wrath for not going all out. Only after he broke Mariana's arm did she leave him alone. He felt terrible about hurting her though, regardless of what Ashton thought. He was smart enough to let it be.

After practice, Harry spent extra time in the shower, in part because he was sore but mostly because he needed an excuse to be alone and make a trip to the Room of Requirement. Everyone bade him good night, too tired to care what he did.

Once he was safe in the Room, Harry grabbed _The Path to Power_ and a few smaller books on Dark magic. _The Path_ and other books described two separate fields of the Dark Arts: magic and alchemy. He hadn't done much reading in alchemy and didn't plan to, not yet. Alchemy involved rituals, rituals that could only be done with extensive knowledge of dark magic. Obviously he wasn't ready for that.

So he continued learning the spells, charms, curses, and hexes. But after an hour and a half of writing down spells, he threw down his quill, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Writing down spells and studying theory was not enough. However little he wanted to use the spells, if he was going to duel the boggart again, he needed to practice them.

"Ask and you shall receive Potter," called that familiar aristocratic, superior voice. Harry turned to face Draco Malfoy, wand at the ready. The blond had his hands in the sleeves of his robes but he looked at Harry with anticipation. "Easy now Potter. This isn't a duel. I told you before I would take another form for our next duel."

Harry didn't lower his wand, "Why are you here then?"

"Well, ordinarily you practice with you mother. I'd imagine, considering the spells you are learning, that you'd be hesitant to try them on her. Understandable but you still need practice before your next duel, especially offensive magic. The Room has decided I'll spar with you when you want to practice Dark magic and you can save the so-called Light and neutral spells for her, and your father when that time comes."

Malfoy freed his hands, assuming a defensive stance. "All right Potter. Why don't we start small? Try to hit me with _profundus vereor_. I'll do everything I can to defend myself short of fighting you. You can use whatever spells you wish to tire me out but try to hit as quickly as you can with a strong fear curse."

At Harry's nod, Malfoy disappeared with a twirl. Harry cast the charms to improve his hearing and sight. He also cast a new one: _preteritus_ _agnosco_. With this charm, when he touched anything with the tip of his wand he would pick impressions of anyone who touched it and let him view past events as if he were there. He hadn't tried the spell yet but with no threat of attack now seemed like a good time.

He heard Malfoy moving around very close. His concealment charm was strong; making it difficult for Harry to see more than a blur the few times he spotted Malfoy. When he thought he had the ferret cornered, he disappeared. Deciding to test his new power, Harry placed the tip of his wand on the boulder Malfoy had touched.

For a brief moment, he was looking through Malfoy's eyes, looking for himself. He heard a small rustle of cloak, barely audible and disappeared. Because he could feel Malfoy's thoughts, he knew the ferret had reappeared behind the bookshelf.

He blinked and he returned to the present. Not wishing to give himself away, Harry crept further away from Malfoy. When he was safely behind another boulder, he spun on his feet, reappearing behind the wardrobe. Unaware Harry was anywhere around, the Boy-Who-Lived snuck in close—after silencing himself first—and mentally cast _profundus vereor. _The ferret couldn't raise a shield before the spell slammed into his chest.

Malfoy was screaming as he hit the ground but only for a second. He glowed white for a moment before standing up, unfazed.

"That was good Potter. Nice trick you used to find me. Just remember that now I know the spell. When we duel for real, I will use it against you."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "What spell next?"

For the next hour Malfoy had him cycle through all the spells he had learned, from _atrum flatus _(a blast of pure dark energy that could cripple or kill a person) to a_dficio veneficus navitas _(a spell that drained the magical energy out of a living creature, empowering the caster). Most Harry could not perform well, not able to gather enough anger or hate necessary to power the spells.

"You need to work on summoning the emotions necessary to cast those spells Potter. You've done well but you're not ready to fight a determined dark witch or wizard."

Harry glared at Malfoy. "Well we're not all evil, spoiled princes Malfoy. I can't just get angry. Besides, how do I come back for that after using the curse? How do I just lose the anger?"

"You have to learn Potter. In the heat of battle I suspect you'll perform better because your emotions take charge. But you must learn control, as your father told you the other day. Think of what angers you, who or what you hate. Use that to fuel your spell."

"How isn't that evil?"

"Simple Potter. Tell me, what possessed you to use _sectumsempra_ when we dueled in our sixth year?"

"I was angry. I didn't know what you were up to but I knew it was something." Harry's face darkened. "And I was right. You let the Death Eaters into the castle, almost killing my friends and horribly disfiguring Bill." A burning rage coursed through Harry's veins; his fingers tightened on his wand, eager to hurt Malfoy for all he had done.

Malfoy looked smug. "You see Potter, just that one instant has you ready to curse me into oblivion. But to show how good you are, think about how you felt after the curse struck."

The words didn't sink in, not at first. But then Harry remembered Malfoy lying in a pool of blood and water. He was afraid Malfoy would die. He was afraid he had killed him. He stood stock still as Snape healed his wounds, worrying more about Malfoy then what punishment he would receive.

Of itself, Harry's rage diminished and eventually vanished.

"You see Potter. You are not evil. Your hatred and your rage are not like Voldemort's because you can overcome them, even when you are seemingly consumed. That control is your greatest weapon. It is not the same as falling completely to the Dark side but it is effective in duels, especially when your emotions are flowing freely."

Harry was still skeptical but decided not to argue further. "Am I closer to facing you again? I've done what you asked."

Malfoy snorted and shook his head. "While you are closer Potter, you're not ready. I can't tell you when I'll reappear in a different form; that depends on the will of the mistress. You would do well to continue working on the spells we went over tonight. I would also spend time on defensive magic. Your sensory charms are phenomenal but there is much more to learn. Spend time there. I expect you'll have some free time now…"

An alarm suddenly started blaring. It took a second for Harry to place the sound before he made a mad dash for the portrait room, Malfoy following sedately. Harry threw open the door, looking wildly around the room, trying to see what was happening.

"Good Lord, settle down Potter. You're missing Granger's portrait." He sounded concerned, which both surprised and scared Harry.

He turned his attention to Hermione's portrait. She was sitting in front of the door, her head buried in her knees. Harry had to look closely to see she was crying. He looked at Neville's, trying to figure out what was wrong. His friend was in the Room but talking hurriedly to Dobby, pointing at the marauders map. The little elf looked terrified, twisting one of his hats in his little hands.

"Christ, why can't I hear anything?"

As if by magic, their voices amplified. "They're in Snape's office Dobby. Snape and the Carrows are going to be in the office at any moment. We have to get them out before they're caught. Bring them back as quick as you can. If they give you any trouble, tell them the prince is coming. Can you do all that?"

The little elf looked fearful but he nodded in the end. "Dobby will be bringing back Wheezy, Loony, and Ernie." With a snap, Dobby was gone. It only took five seconds for him to return with Ron, Luna, and Ernie, but it felt like hours to Harry. His heart soared seeing they were all unharmed. Hermione was relieved too, practically strangling Ron and Luna when they appeared.

"Argh, geroff Hermione. We're fine."

"Don't be rude Ron. She was worried," said Luna serenely.

Neville was looking over their shoulder at Ernie. "Did you guys find it?"

Ernie dipped his head, soliciting a very disappointed look from Neville. But then the Hufflepuff smiled and pulled the sword of Gryffindor from his robes. Neville whooped with glee, followed shortly by Hermione. Neville took the sword from him, cradling it gently.

"Now that we have it, what do we do," he asked Ron and Hermione. His friends shared a look, a very sad look. Neville clasped Ron's shoulder while Luna hugged Hermione. "I know it hurts guys. But we have to hold down the fort until he comes back." Harry's stomach knotted; they were talking about him.

Ron took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know Neville. It's just hard, not knowing." Neville nodded sympathetically. "But you're right. We have to do what we can. And this sword will help."

"For right now though, there isn't much we can do. Ron and I have to figure out what Harry and Dumbledore were looking for before—_gulp_—Harry disappeared." Ron moved over and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Can we help you," asked Neville and Ernie simultaneously.

Ron shook his head. "No. Whatever they were doing was just between the two of them. Harry could only confide in us. We…"

Neville scowled. "That's not fair Ron. The Order stands together. We helped you get the prophecy and we should be able to help you now." Off to the side, Ernie was nodding vigorously. Luna however, looked sympathetic.

"Let them be Neville. They need time to sort out their feelings. When they're ready to let us help, they'll tell us. We can't force them."

Neville looked at Luna flabbergasted. "You act as if Harry's absence is only affecting them. We've all been hit, even the kids who never spoke to him. I know he hated it, but he was…he is an icon. He was the first real mentor I ever had in my life. It's torture thinking about what happened to him. But we can't pack up and turn in. With him and Dumbledore gone, we all need to band together to slow down Voldemort until Harry comes back."

Ernie stepped up to Luna. "I think I agree with Luna Neville. We all miss Harry but we weren't close to him, not like Ron and Hermione, or Ginny for that matter. We helped them get the sword. It's a start."

Ernie turned to Ron and Hermione, who were listening silently. "That said you guys can't keep everything bottled up. Whatever you think about this mission or whatever you want to call it, the circumstances have changed. Harry is not here to do what needs to be done. That means Neville is right; we all need to step up. That means you two will need to let us help you eventually."

Neville and Ernie left Hermione and Ron alone, going to separate bedrooms Harry hadn't noticed before. Luna waited a moment giving them both a hug, whispering something softly to Hermione. His best friend closed her eyes and nodded. After pulling back with one last smile, she went to her own bedroom.

Ron and Hermione shared one last embrace, Hermione whispering that Neville and Ernie were right. Ron didn't say anything. Harry couldn't read his expression but he thought his friend's resolve was wavering. In all honesty, he hoped they would trust Neville and Ernie and Luna and the rest of the Order. Harry didn't know how they would find the horcruxes if he were there but without him, they would need all the help they could get.

"Come on Potter. It's nearly one in the morning. Your friends may notice you are gone. Besides, you need rest." Harry shook his head. "Potter, there is nothing you can do. Your friends are doing brilliantly. I know you're starting to think about the horcruxes but you're not ready to hunt them, not yet. Neither are your friends. The best thing you can do is keep doing what you've been doing."

"That's not just what I'm thinking about," Harry grumbled, looking at the side of his eye at Malfoy. Draco nodded, coming over to put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Potter. And I know it is beyond pointless to tell you not to worry. It is in your nature. But you saw another example of Longbottom's leadership qualities and how mature Luna and Ernie are becoming. You've taught them a lot and they are naturally bright. They will not let themselves be taken advantage of. You have to trust them and focus on what you need to do to return to your time. You need to trust them as they trust you."

Harry looked at Malfoy with a bemused smile. "Who are you and what the hell have you done with the real Malfoy?"

The boggart smiled. "Well Potter, perhaps you already know the answer to those questions. Like those portraits, I'm a manifestation of Draco Malfoy as he is today. You saw how hard it was for me to attack Dumbledore. Trying and failing to kill Dumbledore and hurting Weasel King and Katie Bell was like knives to my soul. There is good in Draco Malfoy but there is a great deal of fear. Unlike you, he has not overcome that fear—yet. You find he's not the only person you've met like that."

"But that is a discussion for another time. Right now you need rest." He stepped out of the room with his arm stretched out like a doorman. Harry smiled, shaking his head as he passed.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I do not own the characters in the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own creation._

_**Special Note: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterword in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 15

Saturday October 22nd dawned bright and clear, perfect conditions for a Quidditch match. As was usually the case before a big Quidditch match, Harry slept in spurts, tossing and turning throughout the night. The difference now was that nerves had nothing to do with his erratic sleep schedule.

He had visited the Room last night to check on his friends. Luna had been reading silently in her common room. That didn't surprise him. What she was reading did though, and why she was reading.

One of the first or second years was nursing a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose. She had several cuts all along her body. To Harry's immense surprise, the little girl wasn't crying. He could've handled tears. This look of weary resignation broke his heart. This girl, in just two months, had basically lost her innocence. This violence wasn't new, and to not cry meant she must have been on the receiving end before.

Luna put down the book and sighed. She stood up and waved her wand over the girl's body three times, healing the cuts and bruises and mending her nose with practiced efficiency. But the little girl's shoulder was still dislocated. Frowning, Luna holstered her wand and kneeled in front of the little girl. She didn't say anything but Harry and the girl understood what she was saying: there was nothing she could do to magically heal her shoulder. She would have to set it back manually.

The few other students still up were watching the scene quietly, all of them seething. Luna waved at Terry Boot. The boy understood and ran up to his room, coming down a few seconds later with a belt. Luna placed it in the girl's mouth, telling her it would be all right soon. A single tear slid down the girl's cheek now. But she bit down on the belt. Luna, careful to make sure she stood still and tall, brought her head down onto her shoulder, gently stroking her air. A burly seventh year came over. He did not look happy but Harry could tell he had treated other injuries like this. He seemed more rattled he should have to do this to a child so young.

Harry had wanted to turn away, wanted to blast this whole damn room to hell. But he couldn't. The seventh year gently cradled her arm, caressing it lovingly, saying soothing words. He told her he was going to count to three and then it would be over. The little girl just jerked her head on Luna's shoulder.

_One…_

Harry tensed, nails biting hard into his palms, unable to turn away despite his brain screaming it didn't want to see this.

_Two…_

Rage started replacing some of Harry's fear, imagining the fat porkers masquerading as professors. How he would love to make those little piggies squeal!

_Three…_

Harry flinched at the _pop_ of the little girl's shoulder being set back into place. The girl cried hard now, the sounds somewhat muffled by the belt still in her mouth. But Luna had experience in these matters. Still holding the girl with one arm, she upholstered her wand and waved it over the girl's shoulder, eliminating the pain, or a much of it as she could.

A few seconds later, the little girl lifted her head, crying no more. Luna wiped tears from her cheek, telling her how sorry she was to hurt her. But the little girl said she felt better now. She was about to lift her arm but Luna held it down. Harry agreed. The little girl should give it time before she used the arm too much.

Harry watched a fifth year girl help the young one up to her dorm. Harry was thankful no other young students had had to watch what happened. Then he wondered how much it really mattered. If they hadn't seen these atrocities before, they would see them soon enough.

If Harry had not had Malfoy there to calm him down, to say nothing of the calming potion the Room provided, he very well may have destroyed the whole damn portrait room and maybe the Room of Requirement. But the potion wouldn't let him. All he could do was brood on what he just saw, brood and commit the images to memory.

Malfoy's words made good sense but they helped but only so much. So what if Harry couldn't be there? What did it matter if things would still be happening if he was there hunting for horcruxes? The point was Harry wouldn't have to see the atrocities unfold. He didn't care if that made him a coward. Ignorance in this instance was most definitely bliss.

"Potter, you can't possibly mean that, not down deep. You asked for a way to see your friends because your were worried about them and wanted to see them, even if they were in pain. You may not like it—I would be horrified if you did. But you have understand that this is part of why you asked for the room."

"You also need to see first hand just how horrible the people you are fighting really are. The Carrows may not be the most distinguished followers of Voldemort but they are among his most cruel. That is why he put them in Hogwarts. He believes they will scare the kids into obedience. He is a fool. For every student being scared into submission, more are steeling themselves to the fight. Acts such as the one you saw will drive students to fight."

"How is that reassuring," raged Harry, the potion just barely keeping him from launching himself at Malfoy, the only person against whom he could lash out.

"It shows how strong people are Potter. You tend to believe you are the only person who can handle pain or face danger."

"That's not true!"

"It generally is Potter. In your first year you tried to convince your friends to stay behind while you confronted Snape and saved the stone. In your fifth year you tried to keep them from accompanying you when you went to rescue Sirius. And just a few months ago you told them you would hunt the horcruxes alone. No doubt you would've tried to do the same had you not disappeared."

Harry scowled. "I wanted to keep them safe damn it. Isn't it bad enough I have to be the one to kill Voldemort? No one else should have to suffer…"

"Enough Potter! I told you before this 'woe-is-me' crap has to stop. You cannot possibly stop people from suffering in war. The point is that they are fighting, that even in the darkest hour they are refusing to give up. The Carrows imagine they hold the school. They hold nothing! The other Professors constantly undermine their decrees. And though they do not know it and I am sure you will not believe it, Snape _is_ finding ways to keep the students safe."

Harry looked at Malfoy with pained incomprehension. "You just saw a little girl bloodied and beaten. How can you possibly say Snape kept her safe."

"Because Potter, he has lied to the Carrows. They torture the students because they do not think they can kill them. It is in their nature to kill defectors, not torture them. And yes, horrible as it sounds, that includes kids. His lie has ensured no child will die. By extension, he has insured few students will be scared into obedience. As you know, enduring pain tends to make people more determined to fight whereas fear of death may bring them into line. Snape has effectively prevented the latter."

Malfoy lowered his voice, visibly making an effort to calm down. "I understand what you are feeling Potter, believe me I do. But you need to see these things. It is part of what you wanted when you asked for a way to see your friends. But you need to understand just how terrible the enemy you face really is."

Harry didn't say anything. At the moment, he didn't want to listen to Malfoy. Seeing this, Malfoy sighed and gave Harry another calming potion and a potion for a dreamless sleep. The last thing Harry remembered was falling asleep in the Room. Somehow the Room sent him to his dorm during the night, either by portkey or appartion.

So while Harry did not dream throughout the night, he still didn't sleep well. For a few minutes he lay awake, thinking about his friends and what must be going on at Hogwarts now. It soured him to even getting up. But common sense told him he couldn't just lie in bed. However much it hurt, Malfoy and Ernie and Neville were: there was too much at stake to just give up. And Harry would be worse then a coward if he gave up. Hogwarts was fighting through things he just saw from a distance.

So with a heavy heart, he got up and took a quick shower. After changing into his Quidditch robes, Ravenclaw blue instead of the familiar Gryffindor red, Harry left the tower. He wanted to visit his friends one more time before the game.

The four active pictures all showed his friends asleep, safe (for now anyway) in their beds. A fierce longing swept over Harry. After everything that had happened, he had given up seeing them until bloody fate decided he could go home. But if he couldn't go home, he wished he could at least talk to them; tell them he was all right. If the Room heard his request, it didn't do anything. Harry had a hard believing it couldn't; how much harder could it be to let him talk to his friends when he already had pictures that let him see them.

After sitting in the room for a few minutes, Harry headed down to breakfast. He tried hard to take his mind off his friends, focus on the Quidditch match. It didn't help he was sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table for almost twenty minutes before the team came down.

"Evans," barked Ashton. Harry looked at her patiently, though his eyes radiated a terrible pain. Ashton noticed this, hesitating a little. Seeing this, Harry blinked, trying to mask his emotions. It must have worked because Ashton scowled at him again. "The team comes down to breakfast together Evans. I'll cut you some slack but remember it next time." Harry only nodded, returning to his oatmeal.

Ashton only gave the team fifteen minutes to eat before ushering them down to the pitch. It was only a quarter after eight. The game started at ten. Yawning, Bryn told Harry that Ashton liked to do some last minute flying before the game.

"Are you all right mate," he asked, after taking a closer look at Harry. "You look terrible."

"I'm fine. I just…I just got some bad news from home."

Bryn held him back for some privacy, however brief. "Are your parents okay?"

_No, they're dead_ thought Harry. "They're fine. It's just…my younger cousin was really hurt by a bully at school. My aunt and uncle, her parents, aren't there to protect her. I always did when I was home. I hate not being there now."

"I'm sorry Nat. It sounds like you two are really close. Does she have anyone to care for her?"

Harry smiled a small smile, thinking of Luna and the other Ravenclaws, most of whom where in the D.A. "Yeah, one of my closest friends will take care of her."

"Well that's good. Plus you'll be going home soo…" he was cut off by Ashton, yelling loudly for them to their butts into the locker room.

To Harry's dismay, Ashton spent thirty minutes giving a Wood-esque speech. He chuckled when he noticed Bryn passed on another bench. It didn't go unnoticed by Ashton either, but though she was glaring hard at his friend, he noticed amusement and affection glinting in her eyes. After he speech, they went out to fly for another half hour, just before the rest of the school started coming down to the pitch.

"All right, all reserves, take your seats above our locker room. The rest of you head in and wait for the game."

At ten, Ashton led the team out of the pitch, to the roaring cheers of a little over half the crowd. The Gryffindors, surprisingly, were split, some cheering for the Slytherins even with their inner-house animosity. At first he was disgusted but that passed. He expected they hoped the Ravenclaws were taken down so Gryffindor wouldn't have to play them for the cup.

Madam Hooch waited in the middle of the pitch, motioning for the two captains. Ashton shook hands with the Slytherin captain, a relatively handsome young man who looked vaguely familiar to Harry. Before he could try and identify the man, Madam Hooch released the snitch and blew the whistle.

As planned, Harry flew off to the Slytherin end of the pitch. He would try and nail the Slytherins before they flew could get to the Ravenclaw end. The game was frantic for the first few minutes, Harry racing through the chasers, trying to beat the Slytherin beater Schlereth to the bludgers. His opposite number was actually a solid flyer, dodging and weaving between the chasers about as smoothly as Harry. What gave Harry an edge was his size: the snake was huge, almost the size of Crabbe or Goyle. He got tangled up with the chasers if he wasn't careful.

Or when Harry got in his way, forcing him to avoid Harry by flying into the chasers. Not long into the game, Harry figured out how to use Schlereth as a third bludger. Harry's normal bludger work was okay, disrupting Rosier, Wilkes, and Young. Once he managed to hit Wilkes square in the ribs, causing him to drop the quaffle right into Isaac's arms. The young chaser pulled off a marvelous spin move, avoiding Rosier who was trying to illegally block him, passed the ball to Libby who passed it back to Dennis for the score. Ravenclaw led 80-20.

Harry started performing better as time went by, his bludgers throwing off the Slytherin timing and causing more turnovers. At one point, the Slytherin captain, who was also their seeker, called a timeout and reamed out Schlereth. He made a change, sending Schlereth over to Bryn and bringing a small, shifty fifth year to go against Harry.

Harry couldn't use Edwards as a third bludger but the Slytherin was not as gutsy a flyer. Where Harry would fly around and through the chasers to seek out the bludgers, Edwards was passive, not wanting to fly through the tangled mass of bodies. He was afraid Harry would do to him what he did to Schlereth.

It hardly mattered. Between Bryn and Harry, the Slytherin chasers had trouble running any of their plays. They scored a few more goals against Carly; that damn Rosier was finding ways to score even on broken plays. Harry made it his top priority to knock him out of the game as soon as possible.

After forty-five minutes, Ravenclaw was leading 170-70. Carly had settled down, focusing on Rosier, the only competent chaser. Bryn and Harry were both gunning for him as well. It was a good strategy as every play revolved around him. Wilkes and Young were good flyers but were fools when left on an island. Despite the openings they had because Harry and Bryn focused on Rosier, they couldn't find ways to score. After an hour of play, Ravenclaw was up 200-80.

Slytherin could still win but the odds were long now. They needed the snitch. The Slytherins knew it too. At one point Harry saw Edwards break off his chase of Harry. He couldn't turn around and see why, eyes on Young who was circling around Rosier, waiting for the pass.

The crowd's massive _boo_ caused Harry to whiff, missing the bludger. He pulled his arm back into his chest just before a mass of blue plummeted through the space where the bludger had been.

"What the hell!" Then he noticed the long black hair flapping through the wind stream. Something had knocked Ashton off her broom. Acting fast, Harry threw down his bat and pulled out his wand. "Aresto Momentum!" The pale blue spiral moved fast, grabbing Ashton when she was about 20 meters from the ground. The strain was intense though, almost pulling Harry off his broom.

It worked though. The Ravenclaw team raced down to Ashton. Madam Hooch halted the game for an injury timeout. They all waited for Madam Pomfrey to run out and see how Ashton was. She was smiling after she finished running her wand over her.

"She's going to be fine. Mr. Evans here saved her I'd say. She has a concussion and a broken arm and leg but that's it. I expect she'll be fine in a couple days. If you all will excuse me." She conjured a magical stretcher and led Ashton back up to the castle.

Harry sighed with relief. The rest of the team either hugged him or clapped him on the shoulder. Bryn was watching Madam Pomfrey, or rather was watching Ashton until she was out of sight behind the stadium. When he looked at Harry, it was a look of near hero-worship. He embraced Harry tightly. "Thank you," he said quietly, clapping Harry on the back.

Madam Hooch coughed. "I'm sorry to bother you all but you need to replace your seeker if we are to continue. Do you have a replacement?"

Bryn shook his head. "No Madam Hooch, we don't."

"Actually, we do," interjected Harry. "Bryn I played seeker back in the States. Put Aaron in my place and I'll fill in for Ashton."

Bryn looked at Harry then the rest of the team. "You sure?" Harry nodded. "All right, Aaron grab your broom and take Nat's place. Nat, good luck."

When play resumed, Harry was upset to find four Slytherin goals had counted, even though the Ravenclaw team was watching Ashton nearly fall to her death. Slytherin was only down 210-130. At Hooch's whistle, Harry took flight, flying high above the pitch with the Slytherin seeker. The boy was affable enough, nodding at Harry. "Good job saving your captain. I give you my word I'll punish Edwards for what he did. What are we without honor."

Harry reached out to shake his hand. "Thanks. What did he do?"

The other boy's face darkened. "He saw her giving chase to the snitch and saw me far behind her. For reasons that escape me, he saw fit to angle her and then hit her head, as if it were a bludger. I only wish Madam Hooch had seen the foul. Nevertheless, I will petition Professor Slughorn for his immediate suspension from school and he will be cut from the team."

Whatever Harry expected from the Slytherin, this was not it. He hated that damn Edwards bastard but he figured the Slytherins would treat him like a hero. If this boy was telling him the truth—and he had no reason to believe otherwise—Harry was thought he was a good guy.

"Thank you again." The boy waved and was about to fly away when Harry called out again. The boy politely turned. "Who are you? You look familiar."

The boy actually smiled. "I shouldn't doubt that, considering who your cousin's friends are. My name is Regulus. Regulus Black." The boy waved again and took of to look for the snitch. Harry didn't move for a few minutes, still reeling from the meeting with Sirius's brother. The way Sirius portrayed his brother, he expected him to be like Malfoy or Dudley. This boy seemed remarkably well mannered, even if a little snooty.

Of course, Harry would withhold judgment until he knew Edwards had been punished. He also couldn't ignore the fact Black would become a Death Eater, even if he tried to get out when he was in too deep.

Shaking his head, he started looking for the snitch. He circled around the pitch, searching for any bit of gold. Fifteen fruitless minutes passed without seeing anything. The Slytherins were also coming back, now only down 240-170. Harry needed to find the snitch.

He saw a couple times, flying around the goals or near the ground. He and Regulus each raced for it, both elbowing and kneeing one another, jostling for position. In that time, the snitch would disappear. Harry fumed but in the back of his mind he liked the competition. None of the seekers in his own time were anywhere near the level of Regulus.

Around noon, with the score at 280-200, Harry spotted the snitch buzzing maybe thirty meters away, close to Regulus. He feigned to the professors stands, flying further from the snitch, risking the game. The gamble paid off though and Regulus inched closer to Harry.

Harry gave his broom a little speed, forcing Regulus to do the same. At the last second, Harry turned sharply, racing towards the snitch. He broom wasn't fast enough though, not in a steep dive. He didn't know what to do; Regulus was going to catch the snitch.

He lowered his broom, setting it up to fly under Regulus. He gave it all the speed he could and then stood up and dove right off the broom. Inertia and gravity shot him forward faster then Regulus. Harry flew over Black, somersaulted in the air, and grabbed the snitch right out of Black's outstretched hand. The other seeker's eyes widened, seeing Harry without a broom. Harry just smiled and reached out, catching the broom with his free hand. He climbed up and landed softly on the grass, snitch in hand.

The stands exploded in cheers. Regardless of house affiliation, that was one of the most daring catches any of them had ever seen. Harry's housemates tackled him to the ground, their cheers ringing in his ears.

After a couple of minutes, they let him up for air. Harry smiled triumphantly. Then he saw something he never saw before, never even imagined. The Slytherin team was waiting to shake hands with the Ravenclaws. Disentangling himself, Harry went over to shake their hands, except for Edwards. Rosier tried to turn it into a trial of strength but the future Death Eater walked away flexing his hand in pain.

"Right good catch Nathan. I'm sorry we lost but that doesn't take away from your effort and that of your team."

Harry smiled. "Thank you Regulus. You guys played a good game too." The Slytherin waved and went off with his team to change. Harry watched him and Edwards carefully. He wasn't doing anything now but he may have been too much a gentleman to chastise his teammate in public.

Harry then noticed Dumbledore, Flitwick, James, Lily, and two people Harry hadn't met before approaching, his mum racing up and hugging him fiercely.

"Unbelievable catch Nathan," Flitwick squeaked, practically bursting at the seams with pride. "And thank you for saving Ashton as well. You made a mark today, let me tell you. 460-200! Good heavens what a win."

"Thank you professor. I'm just glad Ashton will be okay." McGonagall smiled off to the side, filling Harry with pride too.

"Yes, very good Mr. Evans," said Professor Dumbledore. "I too want to thank you for saving Miss Donovan. I also have two people who would like to thank you as well." He motioned for the two strangers. "Mr. Evans I would like to introduce you to Mr. Charles Potter and Mrs. Dorea Potter Black. They are both on the board of governors and of course are Mr. Potter's parents."

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he shook hands with them both. His granddad was a broad-chested man with bright blue eyes. Like all Potter men, his black hair was stubbornly unruly. His grandmother was very tall, almost as tall as Harry. She was incredibly beautiful with dark auburn eyes and rich brown hair.

"It is good to meet you Mr. Evans. James has told us a little about you in his letters. It is great to meet you in person," said his granddad, smiling broadly.

"Thank you sir," he managed to choke out.

"Don't mention it. You deserve it." He turned to James. "All right son. We'll be back next week to see you play. Lily, enchanting as always," he said, kissing the top of her hand. Lily blushed, making Mr. Potter chuckle and Mrs. Potter poke him.

"We'll see you on Monday Albus," said Mrs. Potter, pulling her husband with her before he could embarrass Lily or James further.

As they left, Harry's mind started working again. "Professor Dumbledore sir, could I speak with you for a moment. I can come to your office after I change."

"Of course Mr. Evans. Do you remember how to get to my office?"

"Yes sir."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very good. I will see you soon." The Headmaster and Professor Flitwick left, the latter patting Harry's waist (the highest part of his body he could reach) genially. James and Lily were the only two staying behind with Harry. Lily grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek. Harry told her before he never met any of his grandparents. Meeting them now was something special.

Before James could congratulate him on saving Ashton or his catch, Lily asked James if he would mind giving them a minute. James nodded and said he'd meet her in the Great Hall. When he was out of earshot, Lily hugged Harry. "So, what do you think of your grandparents?"

"I can see where I get my hair."

Lily rolled her eyes, poking him in the side where he was ticklish, just like James. "I mean how did you like them personally?"

"Oh," he replied, as if that never occurred to him. "They're great. I just wish I had more time to spend with them."

"Well, my parents and I are going to visit Potter manor Christmas. I'm sure James will let you come. Plus that'll give you a chance to meet Sirius' aunt Andromeda and her husband. They're coming to visit Sirius. They also have the cutest little girl Nymphadora."

Harry smiled. He could've reminded Lily he knew all these people but he just liked hearing her talk. "I'd love to come," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'll make sure to ask James first chance I get."

"Good. Now, why do you want to talk to Dumbledore?" Harry couldn't blame her for sounding curious. He had never shown any great inclination for wanting to talk to the headmaster. After Harry outlined what he was planning she smiled and clapped her hands. "Oh Harry, that's a good idea. But why not go all the way?"

"I'm not ready yet. I want to start small, see what he does. If that works, I'll go back."

"Fair enough. I'll let you get to it then. Let me know how it works, whenever you can."

"I will." He hugged her again and then headed to the locker room. After a quick shower and change, he headed up to meet Dumbledore. When he knew he was alone, he brushed his forehead with his wand, lifting one of his mum's cosmetic charms. He holstered his wand and made sure his bangs were covering his forehead.

"Come in Mr. Evans," called Dumbledore when he was outside the door. "Please take a seat. What can I do for you?"

"Thank you sir. Sir I got a letter from my parents on Friday. They wanted to know if I could spend a few days with them for Thanksgiving. I'd really like to see them if I could sir."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a minute before smiling. "Of course Nathan. All your professors are praising your work. It should not be a problem. I only have one requirement."

"Sir?"

"You may leave the night of the 23rd at 6:00 pm. But your all your work for Thursday and Friday must be completed before you go. I also want you back no later then 6:00 pm on Sunday the 27th."

"Of course sir, that should not be a problem."

Dumbledore smiled. "I shouldn't think so. Now, is there anything else?"

"Yes sir. I wanted to ask how Ashton is. I hope she is all right."

"I actually just heard from Madam Pomfrey that she is awake. She is in a great deal of pain and is still disoriented but she will be fine in a couple of days." Dumbledore's eyes started twinkling. "If you want to know more, I think you'll find Mr. Williams all but camped out in the hospital wing."

Harry smirked. "I'm not surprised." Harry brushed back his bangs, sighing with relief. "I'm glad she's going to be okay. I was scared I couldn't stop her in time."

As he hoped, Dumbledore's eyes rested on his scar. "No, you caught her at just the right time. Mr. Evans, I hope you'll forgive me, but that is a very interesting scar. Wherever did you get it?"

Harry looked up, as if he could see his scar. "You know sir, I'm not really sure. My parents don't like talking about it. I've always figured they were embarrassed because I played with one of the artifacts they dug up and it cursed me. It's perfectly harmless if you're worried."

Dumbledore had no expression, still studying the scar. "No, I'm sure it is safe. It's just that such a curse would be the result of very dark magic. I can't say I approve of your parents keeping such things around the house, especially where a young child can reach them."

Harry shrugged. "They're young themselves sir. My mum was only 18 when she gave birth. They just made a mistake."

"I'm sorry Mr. Evans. I shouldn't imply your parents were negligent. I just saw the scar and worried."

Harry waved his apology away. "Don't worry about it sir. You're not the first to notice it. I usually put make-up over it. I must have forgotten after my shower. But I digress. I want to thank you again for letting me leave to see my parents. I promise I'll keep up on my schoolwork."

"I know you will. Have a good day Mr. Evans. Congratulations on your victory."

* * *

Severus Snape was sitting at his desk, reviewing schematics of all the wards protecting Hogwarts, some of which went back almost a thousand years. The blasted Carrows were going too far. He needed to find a way to use the wards to protect the students for the worst of the abuse.

"Severus," called Dumbledore loudly. Snape swore, spilling ink on a couple blueprints. The man's tone said he had been trying some while to get his attention.

"What is it Albus? I'm very busy damn it."

"Severus, where is Minerva?"

Snape blinked. Why was the old man asking about Minerva? "She should be in her office. It's not her day to patrol."

Dumbledore said nothing, just got up and left the portrait. Snape watched him, scratching his head.

* * *

"Minerva," said Dumbledore urgently when he saw her sitting at her desk. His old friend looked up with some surprise.

"Albus, what is it?" Her face darkened. "Is someone hurt?"

Dumbledore carefully hid a smile. "No my dear. Thankfully everyone is okay, at least that I can see. Tell me, can you give a message to Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, and Mr. and Miss Wesley."

McGonagall looked bewildered. "Of course Albus. But why do you need to speak with them." Her eyes widened, the significance of who he wanted to see just now hitting her. "Is it about…about Potter," she said softly, as if not wanting to jinx the idea. Dumbledore nodded causing McGonagall to squeal like a schoolgirl. "So he's safe!"

Dumbledore nodded again. "He is Minerva. Unfortunately, I can say no more and I beg you to keep this to yourself. If word were to get to Voldemort that I knew his whereabouts, he would waste no time destroying the castle to get to me."

McGonagall was shaking. "Of course Albus. I'll keep it to myself. With the school in lockdown, there's really no one to tell. What do you want me to tell Potter's friends?"

"Tell them to go to the place where Dobby rehabilitated Winky. When all five are there, tell them to request a portrait of me." If his directions confused McGonagall, she hid it well.

Saying nothing, she left to track down Potter's friends. Her first stop was Gryffindor tower. To make it look like an innocent visit, she carried several rolls of parchment. She greeted students she passed curtly, muttering under her breath about incompetent students. She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached Gryffindor tower without running into either Alecto or Amycus.

Thankfully, the Weasley's, Granger and Longbottom were sitting in front of the fire reading several pieces of parchment. "I would like everyone to return to their dorms except you four." She set the rolls of parchment down on a table, mouth set in thin line. The others took the cue and bid a hasty retreat. When they were in their dorms, McGonagall cast several security and privacy wards on both staircases.

"What is this about professor," asked Longbottom.

"I have a message from Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore," they all asked simultaneously wearing identical looks of astonishment.

McGonagall nodded. "That's right. He would like you four and Miss Lovegood to go to the room where Dobby rehabilitated Winky. When all of you are there, ask for a portrait of Professor Dumbledore. Is that clear?"

The four teens looked at one another, completely taken aback by McGonagall's odd request. "Professor, the Carrows are patrolling the halls," pointed out Hermione.

"I understand that. I will take care of them. You five need to get to that room as soon as possible. If you have to, wait until dinner to leave. Before I go, do you have a way to reach Miss Lovegood without drawing notice." When Hermione nodded, McGonagall grabbed the parchment and opened the portrait hole. "Very good. I'd suggest you leave now." Without waiting for them, she left.

"Blimey, what the bloody hell was that about," asked Ron.

"I don't know. Why on earth would Dumbledore want to talk to all of us," said Hermione.

Neville stood up. "It doesn't matter. We have to go. Who wants to tell Luna?"

"I'll take care of it," said Ginny, working the numbers on her coin so it only sent the message to Luna. "All right, she'll be there."

"Good. Let's go." Neville held open the portrait hole for everyone. They all had their wands out, making sure no one was following them. Luna was waiting for them by the statue of Barnabas the Barmy.

"What is this all about," she asked. Neville put his finger in front of his lips. Ron walked in front of the wall, making a door for all of them. Once they were all inside, he locked the door and asked for a new entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Ah, you've all arrived," called a deep, powerful voice from over the fireplace. Dumbledore was sitting in a chair smiling, eyes twinkling more then any of them had ever seen.

"Headmaster, what is this all about," asked Ginny.

"First, and I know this goes without saying, but first I must ask you all to promise that you do not share anything we talk about here with _**anyone**_. That includes other people in Dumbledore's Army. Do I have your word?"

He waited for each of them to swear before continuing. "I have good news. The best actually; recently I learned that Harry is alive and well."

The teens said nothing for almost five minutes. At one point all three girls cried, even Luna. Ron and Neville just looked shocked. "Is it really true," choked out Ron. He couldn't believe his ears.

But Dumbledore smiled broadly. "It is absolutely true Mr. Weasley. Harry Potter is alive and perfectly safe."

"Where is he," the three girls asked as one.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you. It is not because I do not want to or do not trust to. It is because I think he should be the one to tell you personally. Suffice it to say, he has been working on ways to communicate with all of you since his disappearance."

"Wait. We'll be able to talk to him," squealed Hermione.

Dumbledore frowned for the first time. "Not at the present Miss Granger. I did not speak with Harry personally. It was a stroke of luck I learned his is alive and where he is right now."

"Why can't he come back? Why did he leave us to being with," asked Ron, suddenly hostile.

"Mr. Weasley, Harry's absence was not his choice. Powerful magic, no doubt fueled by his connection with Voldemort, forced him to disappear. We should be grateful he is still alive and trying to get home. We do him a disservice if we blame him for not being where he so desperately wishes to be."

Ron frowned. "I'm sorry. You're right Professor. It's just that after all this time, I want to know he is all right." Ron started crying. Hermione came over to sit next to him, rubbing his back.

"With all due respect headmaster, how do we know for sure he is alive? You said yourself you did not speak with him personally." Hermione and Ginny both glared at Neville, furious he would question something they all so desperately wanted. Neville ignored the glares, focused on Dumbledore.

Unbeknownst to any of the teens or Dumbledore, a new portrait appeared on the wall perpendicular to Dumbledore's, overlooking the exchange.

"You have to trust me Mr. Longbottom. I'm afraid that will have to do until Harry finds a way to communicate will all of you personally. But I promise you, with all my heart and soul, Harry Potter _is _alive."

"I've already found a way Professor," called Harry Potter, his face breaking into a wide, euphoric smile.

_**A/N: For my explanation explaining why Dumbledore had a sudden epiphany regarding Harry's whereabouts, please read my preface in chapter 1. And thank you all for reading an reviewing.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: I made a small change to the end of Chapter 15. It is not a big change but it is critical to understanding how I start this chapter. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope you enjoy this new chapter. **_

_**Special Note 2: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 16

Harry practically burst with joy when his friends came into view. None of them knew he was there. But Neville's question must have sparked them to all to wish they could talk to him. He watched them, soaked them up with his eyes really. He had missed them terribly and words escaped him at first.

It didn't last. He couldn't stay silent, needed to surprise them and break the silence. "I've already found a way professor."

"Harry," screamed Ginny, causing Ron to almost break Hermione's chin as he whipped his head up. All five looked at him with astonished looks that gave way to huge smiles and even some tears. Harry was crying too.

"Harry, where are you mate," asked Ron, looking at the portrait as if it were some kind of mirage, a trick of the eye.

Harry's smile faltered. He wasn't sure how they would take the truth. What would they think of him?

Luna noticed his sudden trepidation. "It's all right Harry. You can tell us." She spoke with a calm serenity, which had a soothing effect on Harry.

Harry took a deep breath, catching the eye of each of his friends. "When we were trying to escape from Little Whinging, Voldemort somehow figured out I was the real me. Some of his Death Eater almost killed me by themselves but Hagrid saved me." Harry paused, gulping and blinking back tears. "That left him vulnerable to Voldemort's killing curse."

His friends, including Luna, looked sad at Hagrid's passing. Save his little monster problem, he was the kindest, gentlest man any of them had ever known. "What happened after Hagrid di…let you go," asked Hermione, the first to find her voice.

"I fell," he said lamely. "Voldemort pursued me, tried to kill me as I fell. My right shoulder was dislocated so I couldn't defend myself, not really. But when he cast his killing curse, I was able to cast a stunner, sort of anyway. The last thing I remember was the two spells hitting, a flash of gold and white light, and then blackness."

"And where are you know. Why can't you come home?" That was Neville.

"I'm in the Room of Requirement," he said with uncharacteristic straightforwardness. As expected, his friends looked at him like he had a screw loose.

"Harry, that's bloody impossible."

Harry shook his head. "It's not Ron. Believe it or not, I really am in the Room of Requirement right now. Professor Dumbledore understands, at least a little. Am I right sir?"

Dumbledore nodded, drawing the attention of the five teens. "Harry speaks the truth, or at least I suspect he does."

"So where are you damn it? Enough with double-talk," said Ron heatedly. Hermione set a hand on his shoulder to calm him down but it was quite plain she wanted an answer as well.

"Whatever happened between Voldemort and me that night sent me back in time. I'm at Hogwarts in 1977." Silence crashed down, none of his friends saying anything though Luna and Hermione looked thoughtful. Dumbledore also looked like his mind was going a mile minute. He wondered if the headmaster could figure out exactly what was going on here.

Ginny shook her head, her red hair flying back and forth. "Wait a minute. What the bloody hell do you mean you're in Hogwarts in 1977? If that blasted explosion sent you back in time, how come we don't know something? How come our lives haven't been affected?"

Harry just shrugged his shoulder, earning a glare from Ginny. Harry held up his hands in appeasement. "Ginny, I truly don't know how I ended up here. As for why you all don't know, I suspect it's because I've been able to cover my tracks up to this point. But I'm sure things have changed even so." Harry nodded at Professor Dumbledore. "What happened with the headmaster is proof of that. Professor, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to make you tell my friends about me?"

Dumbledore looked surprised Harry asked the question. "It was an odd phenomenon Harry. A new memory was juxtaposed next to the older, more familiar memories. This new memory was of a boy showing me a scar on his forehead rather nonchalantly. But that wasn't the only new memory I had; it was only the strongest. I had memories of Wizengamot hearings I never attended, talking about a strange boy who crashed onto the lawn of Lily Evans. None of the hearings gave his name because the Aurors claimed they didn't know. They were faint memories but combined with you showing me your scar, I knew you were alive and safe."

"So the new memories didn't replace the old?"

"No Harry, they were separate. It was an odd feeling to say the least."

Harry wanted to question the headmaster further but his friends didn't take kindly to being ignored, not now. "Harry, why don't we know about any of this? Or anything else you have done," demanded Ron.

Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know Ron. But I think I've done something you all remember now. Does anyone have the marauders map?" Neville pulled it out of his robes. "Good. Look it over and tell me if you can find yourselves?"

His friends eyed him strangely but did as he asked. A few minutes later, they located themselves on the map. Ginny, Ron, and Neville didn't look at all shocked. After a couple of seconds, both Hermione and Luna exclaimed in surprise though. "What's the matter with you two," asked Neville.

"That's one of the new memories Harry was talking about. Guys, we can see ourselves on the marauders map, right here in the Room of Requirement. Doesn't that seem odd?" Hermione was talking mostly to Ron, who understood the history of the map more then the others. Sure enough, his friend's eyes widened, a mystified look on his face.

"Merlin, Harry showed the marauders the Room," he said softly. He looked up at Harry as if seeing him for the first time. "You really are back in Hogwarts." Then something new hit him, an understanding of what he said first. "You're at school with your parents." Harry nodded.

"Oh Harry," whispered Hermione. She looked as if she wanted to hug Harry. Like her, he was disappointed they couldn't.

"Harry, what have you been doing with your parents? Have you learned anything about the horcruxes?" That was neither Ron nor Hermione; that question was asked by Ginny. To Harry's further amazement, neither Neville nor Luna looked surprised by Ginny's question. Only Harry, Ron, and Dumbledore looked surprised and more then a little alarmed.

"Ginny…how?"

She snorted, exasperated by his reaction. "A couple of weeks ago I snuck into Hermione's room." She turned to the older girl. "You really should be more careful with your trunk. I got in without too much of a problem and found _Magick Most Evile_. From there, it was just a matter of following your bookmarks."

Hermione looked unperturbed, much to the surprise of Dumbledore and Harry. "Miss Granger, that was very foolish of you. I would not have left those books in my office for you if I had known you would not be careful."

"Professor, please give me more credit then that. I warded the book with a spell Bill taught me. No one with a Dark Mark could've read it. It would've looked like a normal textbook. Not long after ago, Neville demanded to now why we needed the sword of Gryffindor." She paused, waiting to see how Dumbledore would act to that little revelation. He didn't look surprised.

"I knew he or Ginny would try to figure out what we were doing. And I knew they wouldn't wait for Ron and I to tell them. I made it so anyone with one of our gold galleons could read the book if they had it in their possession. It was a gamble but one I thought worth the risk. As soon as I knew Ginny had read the book, I put the original protections back in place."

Dumbledore looked apologetic. "Please forgive me Miss Granger. Under the circumstances, I think you did quite well."

"If you're all quite done," she ground out impatiently. "Harry, have you learned anything about the horcruxes?"

Harry shook his head. "Unfortunately no. And I would advise you lot not to look for them either. I'm trying to figure out what they are," he lied. "But there is at least one I cannot attack."

"The snake."

Harry nodded. "That's right Ron. Nagini will have to wait until I come back. It's too dangerous for any of you to try and you'll never be able to get close enough to it before Voldemort descends on you in wrath."

"What about locket or the cup?"

"Well, I have a plan for one of the hocruxes actually. At the end of November, I'm going to pay a visit to the orphanage where Voldemort was raised."

"Harry, is that wise? That orphanage is still in business. It is highly unlikely Voldemort would hide anything there without killing everyone present. Such dark magic would be easily detected as well, as close as the orphanage is to London," said Dumbledore.

"I understand all that professor. It is more a hunch then anything else. And if there really is a horcrux there, it is far safer for me to go then for any of you to go. I'm sure he has the place guarded now. He knows what happened to the diary. He won't be as blasé with his remaining horcruxes."

"That leaves two still—the locket and something of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," said Hermione.

"Wait, you think he only created four of these things?"

Hermione shook her head. "No Neville. We think he created six. Harry destroyed the diary that possessed Ginny five years ago. Last year, Professor Dumbledore destroyed a Slytherin family ring. That leaves four: Nagini, Voldemort' snake, a Slytherin locket, a cup that once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, and something of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw."

"Why wouldn't he make more? If Ginny read the book right…"

"What the bloody hell do you mean 'if'," she demanded.

"I'm sorry. But if they can make you immortal, why not create hundreds." His expression darkened. "It's not like the bastard hasn't killed enough people he couldn't do it."

"Because Voldemort is very arrogant but also very knowledgeable in nearly every aspect of magical theory. As Miss Granger can attest, the most powerfully magical number is supposedly seven. As I told Harry last year, he would be attracted to the idea of ripping his soul into seven parts, believing it would make him more powerful."

"Does it," asked Luna."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid I do not know Miss Lovegood. I would doubt it but having never created a horcrux myself or read of another witch or wizard so terribly corrupting the laws of magic, I can not say for sure."

"So here's where we're at right now I understand what you're all saying. One horcrux can't be touched until Harry returns, one may be destroyed if Harry's theory is right, one is lost, and the last we can't find because we don't know what it is. Great odds I'd say." Harry's other friends all scowled at Neville, who had enough grace to looked embarrassed and mumble an apology.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Neville is right. I'll go to the orphanage and try to do what I can to research Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. I'm afraid I'll have to leave the locket to all of you. I can't retrieve it without sacrificing someone or sacrificing myself. At least you lot can track it down with some chance of living through the ordeal."

His friends all nodded, as did Dumbledore. Harry was glad Dumbledore was not angry that Neville, Luna, and Ginny knew about the horcruxes. With Harry gone, everything they had planned before his death was gone with the wind. Hermione and Ron needed help.

"So Harry, how are you? What is it like being with your parents," Luna asked gently. Harry felt a twinge of guilt, thinking about her mother. But he told them everything that had happened between when he landed and his meeting with Dumbledore. Only after he finished did he feel bad. Here he was talking about quidditch and spending time with his friends when they were living in a veritable hell.

None of them looked upset with Harry though or made a comment about him living soft. All of them were interested in his story. Neville was entranced by his brief encounter with Frank, asking Harry how his dad looked and what he thought of him. More then any of the others, Neville understood how much this meant to Harry. His only regret was not being there with him.

They asked him questions for another couple of hours. Even Dumbledore chimed in. They didn't want to talk much about what was going on in the school until Harry told them about the portraits. Luna looked very sad when she heard this but all the others had similar experiences. But as Malfoy told him, Dumbledore's Army was growing everyday. Basically every fourth year in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were taking up arms against the Carrows.

Harry was even more surprised to hear a solid number of Slytherins were also resisting, led by Tracey Davis, a seventh year and muggle-born. They were fighting two foes really: the Carrows and their own house. But according to his friends, the Slytherins were giving Neville and the other leaders of the D.A. intelligence on the Slytherin house and the dungeons.

"Our task would be much harder without them Harry. Even Ron grudgingly respects everything they have done and how much they are risking just by talking to us. That night we took back the sword, Tracey and a few of her friends had distracted the Carrows and Snape, We haven't rolled them into the D.A. to protect the others but we still liaise with them whenever we can."

Harry couldn't believe any Slytherins were fighting. It seemed too good to be true. He scolded himself mentally. His friends wouldn't lie. Maybe he had been wrong about the house, at least some of the people. He suddenly resolved to talk with Regulus as soon as he could. He was the first decent Slytherin he met in this time.

He didn't mention this to his friends though. He just listened to them tell him everything that was going on inside and outside Hogwarts. The Ministry was still outside Voldemort's control. The Death Eaters had put some secretary Pius Thicknesse under the Imperius curse and sent him to kill the Minister. Scrimgeour was in critical condition but not dead. Before the Death Eaters could claim the seat, Kingsley organized a coup d'état and overthrew Umbridge, the deputy Minister. She was dead now.

Many expected Kingsley to declare himself Minister but he refused the top spot. To Harry's surprise, Arthur Weasley was appointed Minister in an emergency vote of the other department heads. While not all of the Death Eaters had been swept out of the Ministry in the coup, the leaders were gone. Another battle ensued with the remaining Death Eaters when Mr. Weasley ordered the immediate arrest of anyone with a Dark Mark in the Ministry. Some innocent people would be arrested but they would also be the ones less likely to fight. The ones that fought would give themselves away as Voldemort sympathizers. They were gone now.

"Dad wants to take back Hogwarts eventually but the governors have basically retreated into the school and seceded from the Ministry. You-Know-Who came to the school a few days ago to talk with Snape about protecting the school and village from a Ministry invasion."

"Wait, Voldemort came to the school? What did he do? Was anyone hurt?"

His friends all shuddered. "No one was hurt. You-Know-Who made an announcement to the school before he left, telling all the students that they were safe from the oppressive and diabolical blood traitors and enemies to the one master race. He then told us not resist the demands of the Carrows and of the Headmaster. So long as they obeyed, no harm would come to them or those they loved. I imagine he thought threatening family and friends outside the school would scare some kids into submission. More kids wanted to fight after that one."

"Good. So what are you all going to do now?"

"We're going to keep recruiting. There is going to come a time when we'll be able to fight the Carrows and the Slytherins who back them. We're not ready yet. Since we can't meet, planning anything big is hard. But we still poke them when we can. Any students locked in the dungeons are freed, regardless of punishment. The Carrows can't punish an entire house, however much they wish they could," said Ron.

"And we'll try to find the locket and whatever the last horcrux is. We as in us five that is," interjected Ginny.

"Thank you guys, for everything you're doing and for not being mad at me for not being there." Harry felt a sense of shame, something he always felt when he remembered he was living apart of his friends, safe and away from danger.

Hermione got up and put her hand on the portrait, Harry turned to her portrait and put his hand out, for all the world as if he could touch her even though they were separated by magic neither could understand. "You don't have to thank us Harry. We all love you and understand this is where you want to be. We'll be here to talk to you whenever you want, just as I'm sure you'll be here for us. When fate has decided you're ready to come home, we'll be here."


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 17

Wool's orphanage hadn't changed much over the past four decades since Dumbledore came to tell Tom Riddle he was a wizard. The four-story building was in good shape structurally if not well kept. The wrought iron fence was rusting in some places, giving the place an even more foreboding look then it would have otherwise.

After leaving Hogwarts on Wednesday, Harry spent the next two days scouting out the area, paying particular attention to activity in the orphanage. On the surface, it looked like business as usual. Children were playing in the yard. At night he could see silhouettes of people moving, the orderlies putting the kids to bed for the night.

What kept Harry coming back; made him sure something was wrong about the orphanage despite its outward appearance, was the fact no muggles ever went in looking to adopt a child. That didn't necessarily mean anything but Harry found it unsettling.

He was living in a muggle motel about a mile away from the orphanage. At night he practiced some of the spells he and Lily had looked up over the past month. Unsure of what wards Voldemort would use, they didn't spend much time on curse-breaking enchantments. If there were exotic wards, Harry would have to come back.

Most of their work went into learning spells to combat the dark creatures Harry was likely to face: dementors, inferi, vampires, and zombies. Since none of them were dark spells, he was generally able to master the spells. Of course, when Lily was not with him, he looked over some dark spells he could use. He had given up questioning Malfoy's logic; to fight this enemy, he needed to be proficient in all types of magic.

Despite their nightly practice sessions, and all the help he was getting from his friends back home, he was nervous. He would be hunting this horcrux alone. At Hermione's suggestion, Harry and Lily created two galleons so they could communicate back and forth. But if Harry ended up using the coin, everything he had worked for would be undone.

So he practiced what few spells he could in his room for the past three nights and was ready to go in on Saturday. If there really was a horcrux, he needed to get it out today and send it to his mum. Dumbledore would almost certainly recognize the dark magic of the horcrux and confiscate it if Harry stepped into his office with it in his bag. Send it to Gryffindor tower where Lily could immediately stash in the Room was the safest way to go.

He was up at four. After a quick shower and change, he left the motel room. As he hoped, few people were on the road and there were no lights on in any of the shops or houses, most especially the gas station across the street from the orphanage. Harry cast a few revealing charms over the gates but there was no magic present. The door squeaked open, not too loud but enough to make Harry snap his head back to see if anyone could hear him.

The grounds were quite, a couple balls and jump ropes littering the ground. There was even on of those American footballs. Careful not disturb the balls, Harry proceeded up the walkway. His hand was twitching, ready to summon his wand from his holster at a moments notice. He was tempted to cast a warming charm actually; the temperature seemed to drop fifteen degrees as he walked from the gate to the door.

After taking a deep breath, Harry knocked on the door. A light turned on in the entranceway and he could hear a girl swearing and cursing. "Yeah, what do you want," she said rudely after whipping the door open.

"Excuse me, but I need to speak to the matron of this facility. Can you take me to her." The girl looked Harry up and down. It was a scary feeling. She was not attracted to him. It felt as if she were sizing him up, like she would a threat. His wand hand twitched again.

But she ended up nodding. "Follow me. She'll be in her office." She let Harry walk through before closing the door. The entranceway was lit but sparsely. That may be because it was early but Harry remembered the kids had their own rooms. The halls should always be lit, at least in his opinion.

He rubbed his chest, trying to stay warm. "Why isn't the heat on? It's a bit too cold for kids don't you think?"

"It is fine," she said curtly, not stopping or turning around to address Harry.

He was about to retort when he heard someone calling out for him to stop, just on the edge of perception. He looked into one of the rooms and had to fight not to gasp. Floating in the room was the ghost of a plain looking woman. His eyebrows shot to his hairline when he recognized her. "Merope Gaunt," he gasped, trepidation rising.

She nodded, smiling sadly. "Be careful my friend. That girl is leading you into a trap."

"How?"

"Don't ask questions. You must find my son's horcrux now. They cannot hurt you unless you step into Mrs. Cole's office or you move my son's horcrux. You must be ready…"

"Silence!" Harry whipped around, casting _vires caecus_. He needed to shield his eyes as bright flash of light burst out of his wand. The girl screeched like a banshee, stumbling into the walls and knocking over the furniture. Harry cast a ward over his eyes, letting him see through the light. Even as she thrashed, he could tell she was a zombie.

"Dominus retineo." Red tendrils of magic wrapped around the vampire, tightly pinning her arms and legs together. The monster screeched still, her eyes searing with pain. With the monster trapped, Harry banished the monster into the room with Merope and sealed it with a shield/ward Hermione found: _lux lucis parietis _or the wall of light.

Voldemort's mother watched without comment. "You are more powerful then I expected for a child so young, maybe stronger then my son when he came back to murder everyone here. But you should not have come to this place alone. It is a fight I am afraid you cannot win."

Harry snorted. "I've heard that before. Besides, there is nothing I can do now. Why are you here? Why did you stop me?"

"This is where I died my friend, many years ago after giving birth to my son. I suspect you already know this. How else would you know my name?"

Harry nodded. "No, you're right. I do know what happened to you. But that doesn't explain why you are here now."

"Isn't it obvious? I died giving birth to my son. It was the worst moment of my life. My husband had left me. It was my own fault, trying to manipulate him with love potions and the like. I lost everything, including my wand. More importantly, I lost all faith in magic. I was determined not to let my son grow up with magic. If that meant sacrificing my life, I was ready to die. I had suffered too much to want my son to suffer a similar fate. I know now that that was the worse decision of my life."

"Though I wanted to die, I still wanted to be there to watch my son grow up. That must have been enough to become a ghost because I never cast a spell or did a ritual. After I died, my soul stayed earthbound as a ghost. And I watched my son grow. I never revealed myself to him though I wanted to many times. But he was becoming so dark, so twisted. I was afraid. And I knew he blamed me for leaving him in the orphanage. In time, he even blamed me for dying."

She buried her head in her hands, or came as close as a ghost could. "I wanted my son to live a normal life, free from magic, free from the terror my father forced me to endure everyday," she wailed. "I was so selfish. I was so wrong. My son needed his mother; he needed someone to love him. It wasn't magic I needed to protect him from. It was abuse and neglect and fear I needed to protect him from. And I failed." She started to cry.

Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't even really know what to think. Part of him sympathized with Merope; her father _had_ abused her as a child and her husband did the same when she was a woman. It was only natural she would want to attribute all her pain with magic and want to spare her son that fate. But, as she said, she didn't see the truth, that it was not magic she hated but her father.

"I'm sorry my young friend," she said. "You're here to find my son's horcrux. Just be aware that once you leave this room, you can leave the house safely. None of the creatures will hurt you. Once you move the horcrux, they will attack."

"What are 'they' exactly?"

"The zombies and inferi my son created from the murdered children and adults who used to live here."

"So he created both," he muttered, thinking out loud. If Voldemort created both then Harry had a problem. Zombies could actually reason. Harry suspected the matron and her support staff had been turned into zombies and the kids would be inferi. If they fought together, fire spells would not work against zombies. In fact, the spells that hurt inferi didn't hurt zombies and vice versa.

"Are there any other traps?"

"No. Very few wards are protecting the horcrux itself. But again, the second that box moves an inch, the monsters will descend on you in wrath. You must be ready."

"I'll be ready. Where is his horcrux?"

"In his room on the third floor. You will find it in a small gold box under some loose floorboards." She tried to put a hand on Harry's shoulder, her hand going right through, sending an icy chill through his already freezing body. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it."

"Thank you. You need to also be careful how long you spend in this house. If you do not get out soon, the darkness from my son's horcrux will eventually corrupt and kill you. Fighting the zombies and inferi will exacerbate the corruption."

"How?"

"Because by fighting you are draining your magic. As your magic is drained, more of his can seep in, slowly corrupting your magic and soul until you are a zombie slave like the others."

Harry snarled and cursed. "Is there anything else?" When she shook her head, he vanished the shield and cast as many extrasensory charms he could on himself. "Wish me luck," he said but he was gone before she could say anything.

The house was eerily silent, something he didn't notice before. The halls were all dark, the doors shut. But as he traipsed up the stairs, he heard guttural growls and snarls coming from each room. When he reached the third floor, he got an idea. Heading back down to the first floor, he set delayed charms, something Lily had taught him. He could only do simple spells but he was only looking to set _incendio _charges anyway. He put several dozen on each floor, mostly around doors but some by the stairs. The monsters growled as he passed. They knew he was there. Hopefully he could give them a surprise anyway.

After the charges were set on the fourth floor, he backtracked and headed to Voldemort's room. Given the circumstances, his was easy to find. It was the only door open in the whole damn building. Waves of darkness rippled in the air, pulling at his gut and sapping his power. Steeling himself, trying to control his emotions, Harry banished the bed to the side of the room.

There were wards over the floor but as Merope said, there weren't many. Harry didn't know how to disable them. But one of the spells he worked on with Malfoy could be used on certain wards. Felling a little nauseous, Harry pointed his wand at the floor: _erus navitas telum_. Yellow lightening shot out of Harry's wand, crackling over the wards. The spell was quickly draining him though and he had to break the connection after barely a minute.

A revealing charm said the wards were still in place. He had a choice: he could sit here, risking Voldemort's magic consuming him, or he could make one last ditch effort to destroy the wards and take his chances with the monsters.

It was no choice really. Harry took a few deep breaths and pointed his wand at the floor again. "Adnihilo." A ball of concentrated orange magic smashed against the wards with incredible force, staggering Harry. But it didn't take them down.

"Adnihilo!" The second spell was just a strong but still the wards held. Muttering a few curses, Harry pulled up his sleeves and focused all of his energy on the wards. ADNIHILO!"

The third blast worked, too well in fact. The spell smashed through the wards and the floor. They bounced off the ornate gold box in the floor though, and then again off the ceiling. Harry managed to raise a purple shield before the spell killed him. The spell deflected off his shield and killed a wave of zombies and inferi already in the door.

"Shit," he exclaimed, setting off his charges as fast as he could. Another wave of inferi were at the door. A rush of fire and magic swept them down the hall before they could get at him though. Screams and screeches could be heard all through the house as hundreds of inferi were burned to death.

Harry raised another wall of light in the doorway, waiting for another wave of monsters. It didn't take long but there weren't nearly as many. The fire had either destroyed most of the inferi or trapped them in their hideouts. The zombies were powerful though, fighting and punching his shield. They were taking it down too. Harry had to focus all his energy into keeping it active.

When he couldn't hold it anymore, he banished it, forcing the zombies back with the shield. While the zombies were trapped, Harry ran out into the hall and towards the stairs. Zombies and inferi were running up the stairs, snarling and pointing at Harry.

"Adficio veneficus," Harry yelled, pointing his wand at one of the zombies. A beam of pulsating red and orange magic connected the monster and his wand. But it did what Harry hoped. It revitalized him a little and basically killed the zombie. It actually sucked the magic out of the beast but that was the same as killing it. He used the spell a few more times before he had enough energy to conjure another wall of light around him. The zombies and inferi slammed against his shield and it wavered. But it lasted long enough for him to conjure another annihilation spell, blowing a hole through all the way down to the first floor. He fell fast, but he managed to cast some firing spells in case there were monsters waiting when he landed.

He didn't need to worry. All the monsters had pursued him to the third floor. They were running downstairs at light speed but not fast enough to catch him before he flew out the front door. Out in the sunlight, he was safe. One of the zombies, who he recognized was Mrs. Cole, the old matron, stuck its head out but pulled back, snarling at Harry. The boy-who-lived didn't care. He did it. He got one of Voldemort's horcruxes!

Once he was back in his motel room, he cast all the privacy and security charms he knew and set the box on the table. He couldn't believe he did it. He couldn't believe he had the third horcrux. Remembering what happened to Dumbledore's hand last year, Harry carefully opened the box, containment charms on the tip on his tongue. He didn't need containment charms though. Without the lid, nothing stopped the dark power of the horcrux (Hufflepuff's cup) filling the room. The nausea and coldness Harry felt at the orphanage were magnified tenfold now.

There was only one spell he could think of to fight the darkness. It was a spell Hermione found on her own after reading _Magick Most Evile_. Feeling claustrophobic and almost painfully sick, Harry didn't know if he could do the spell.

He placed the tip of his wand on the cup; Harry tried to clear his mind, thinking of all the happiest moments of his life. Images of Ron and Hermione standing with him after beating the troll, Sirius offering to let him move in, and Harry spending time with Lily and James all filled his minds.

"Obscurum aufero." A white cloud surrounded the cup but Harry had trouble holding the spell. He was sweating hard, almost going purple as he tried to fight Voldemort's darkness. Slowly, ever so slowly, Harry's white cloud expanded, eventually filling the whole room. A powerful rushing sound battered Harry's ears, his wand vibrating feverishly. Harry held the spell, focusing all his energy on happy thoughts, feeding them into the cup.

The rushing sound became a high-pitched screech after a few minutes. The tip of his wand jerked in his hand, like it had become a vacuum. The haze of white smoke flew to the point where his wand and the cup touched, pulling all of the dark energy in the room and in the cup into that one spot.

Harry snuck a peek at the cup, just before the gray ball of light and dark magic exploded like a shockwave. Harry tumbled backwards. Someone was screaming like a banshee somewhere close by. Only when he needed to take a breath did he realize he was the one screaming.

Harry pulled himself to his feet, still reeling from the blast. The room was utterly destroyed but all the damage had been contained in his room, thanks to his wards. But he'd fix that later. He examined the cup. He could still sense the darkness from Voldemort's soul but the wards, traps, and curses that had been protecting the cup were gone. It was no longer giving off waves of dark energy either.

"Hot damn," Harry said with a smile before passing out from exhaustion.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 18

Lily lay anxiously on a couch in Gryffindor tower. Her head was resting on James' chest. He had long since fallen asleep; the gentle rhythm of his chest usually a source of comfort, now did nothing for her. Harry told her he would contact her no later then nine at night on Saturday with news. It was nearly midnight.

As the appointed hour drew closer, even James noticed how anxious she was. He was so sweet; trying to find out what was bothering her and what he could do to help her. It hurt her not to tell him but there was no way she could without incriminating Harry. She hated keeping secrets, especially from the people she loved but she knew she had to here. But not telling anyone made sure she kept everything bottled up, slowly eating away at her.

She fell into a fitful sleep somewhere between midnight and one in the morning Sunday. She had terrible nightmares of Harry dying alone in some dank, decrepit room, being murdered by all sorts of dark creatures. And she dreamed that somehow You-Know-Who had found out what Harry was doing and attacked him. Harry would never give up; he would fight as bravely as he could but he would lose. There was no doubt her baby would lose.

At half past two, she woke up with a start, sweating hard, tears flowing down her cheeks. She wiped at them with her robes, careful not to disturb James who was still passed out cold. She started shivering soon and relit the fire with her wand. She also conjured a blanket and lay back down, again careful not to disturb James. He grunted when she set her head back on his lap but just wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

About an hour later, Lily started feeling something warm on her thigh. "Oh James, not now sweetheart," she mumbled, visions of a dead or dying Harry still plaguing her dreams. The warmth became more intense. In her sleepy state of mind, it took Lily a minute to realize what was happening.

"The coin," she exclaimed loudly. James muttered and stirred, his hands thrown off when Lily shot up. She waited anxiously for a few seconds to see if he would wake up. She sighed with relief when he grunted and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Giving him a soft kiss on the forehead, she stepped onto the stairs leading to the girls' dorm and read Harry's message.

She needed a minute to cipher the code, something Harry's friend Hermione had come up with. She thought it was a good idea at the time. Now, tired and scared, she cursed the time it took. Her anger vanished with a flash when she ciphered the message. Harry was all right. She fumbled with the numbers, asking if he found what he was looking for.

A few minutes later, Harry told her he had. She didn't have a chance to respond before he told her it was coming north even as they speak. Lily hardly noticed. She was just relieved he was okay. She sent a fairly jumbled message, telling him how worried she had been and another asking what the bloody hell took him so long to contact her.

He apologized and told her he would explain when he got back to the school. Since he had the weapon or whatever it was, he'd be coming back to the castle early. He'd send an owl to Dumbledore in the morning telling him his parents dropped him off early and asking if he could floo back around noon.

Lily had just wished Harry good night when she heard a soft tapping at the window. Harry hadn't been kidding about the package coming north. A large eagle owl swooped through the window and deposited the box on one of the tables. It was gone before Lily could give it a tip. Harry must have taken care of that or paid someone extra not to dawdle. She looked at the package, not able to see what was so special. She felt Harry's magic all over the box, wards and charms put in place to mask the dark aura of the weapon. She was tempted to open it but Harry had told her to leave it alone and just bring it to the Room of Requirement before anyone—specifically Dumbledore—noticed the package.

Making herself invisible and silencing her feet, Lily left the common room and headed to the Room. Prefects were patrolling the hall. She spotted the Ravenclaw sixth year prefect Patrick Wilde and the Hufflepuff fifth year prefect Olivea Baker snogging just barely behind of the tapestries. Thanking Merlin for the distraction, she got to the Room unmolested about a minute later.

Harry had requested a new addition to the Room a storage shed about ten feet tall and five feet on each side. It was made of quartz sandstone. Harry told her each wall was maybe seven centimeters thick and it was heavily warded inside and out. She had no idea what he would need such a fortified room for but he just told her he needed to protect the Room when he tried to destroy You-Know-Who's weapons. She hoped he would wait for her when he destroyed it because she was still curious.

For now though, she just opened a small slit in the middle of one side and shoved the ornate gold box through. When it hit the ground, the slit disappeared, transforming into solid stone. She had one last thing to do before heading back to Gryffindor tower though, a promise she made to Harry's friends. She hoped they were still up. If they were in any kind of state like she was, they had to be.

Sure enough, all five of Harry's friends were sleeping in the Room of Requirement. Actually, only four were asleep. Ron was awake, watching Harry's portrait, waiting for Lily. She had gotten to know his friends over the past month, a very surreal experience for all parties involved. All five were very formal with her at first, treating her as if she was Professor McGonagall even though she was maybe a couple of months older then they were, save Ginny and Luna. Hermione was actually older then her by about six months.

Of all his friends, she liked Ron best actually. She could definitely see what Harry saw in him. He was very kind and intensely loyal, much like Remus. He wasn't as smart as Lupin but he wasn't dense either. He was also the first to treat Lily like a friend then like Harry's mother.

The redhead jumped to his feet with a smile when she stepped in front of his portrait. "Thank Merlin it's you Lily. We were all getting worried. Is Harry okay?" His anxious expression changed right to a wide smile at her nod.

"He's fine Ron. I just dropped the thing into the room he made. He says he'll be back around noon. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you all then," she added hastily when it looked like Ron was going to wake up the others. "You should go to sleep Ron. In the morning you can tell the others Harry is okay. Just be sure to get back to the Room around one if you can."

"We will Lily," he said before yawning massively. "I suppose you're right about sleep too. I'm sure Hermione or Ginny will wake me up as soon as they can." He smiled ruefully. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna would probably curse him to dust for falling asleep on the job before letting him explain.

"Do you want me to stay up Ron? I can talk to them so you can get some rest."

Ron shook his. "Don't worry about it. What time is it anyway? About four." Lily nodded after glancing at her watch. "Should give me a good five hours before the hurricane. I'll be fine."

"All right, if you're sure. I'll see you in a few hours."

"You bet. Sleep tight Lily." He grabbed a blanket and lay down on a bed that had just appeared. Only after he started snoring did Lily leave and head back to Gryffindor tower. Now that she knew Harry was okay, she would be able to sleep. While she was gone, James had thrown the blanket off. Lily picked it up and gently rested her head on his chest again. She was fast asleep before she felt his arms wrap around her again.

* * *

After talking with Lily, Harry fell back asleep, still exhausted from yesterday. He slept pretty much straight through breakfast, finally waking up at ten. He cursed and spluttered, the sun shining right in his eyes. He fumbled for a few seconds before finding his glasses.

After a small sandwich and a rejuvenation potion, Harry felt almost human. A shower and change pushed him over the edge. He spent a few minutes setting the room to rights, repairing what had been damaged or destroyed by the blast, which was to say everything. That done, he packed up the few outfits he brought and checked out.

"The room clean," the rotund owner asked, a cigar dangling out the side of his mouth. Despite the hour, he had a glass of whiskey sitting there too.

"Yes sir. Same shape as it was when I arrived." It was actually far cleaner then when Harry arrived but that was neither here nor there. The man grunted, writing something on the receipt.

"Good boy. Most kids your age would tear up the damn room and not give a rat's ass. Nice to find a responsible kid." He made some more scratches to the receipt. "Since you took good care of the room, I'll only charge you for three days and three nights. First night is free. Comes to £83."

Harry gave him two £50 notes. "Keep the change." The man grunted, putting both banknotes in his money drawer. "Thank you. Hope I can accommodate you in the future." Harry nodded and left. When he was out of notice of anyone, he spun on his heel and disappeared, reappearing outside the Leaky Caldron. He made sure all his cosmetic charms were in place before heading in. A few customers were eating, probably people who worked early shifts taking an early lunch.

"Morning Tom," Harry said with a wave.

"Morning Mr. Evans. Good holiday with the parents."

"Yes sir. It's always good to see them. They're so busy we don't have a lot of time to just talk."

"Ay, I know how that goes. Well, will you be wanting to head back to Hogwarts now? Still have a few hours before Dumbledore asked for you to come back."

Harry looked at his watch, pretending to think. "You know, I'm going to buy some supplies and maybe a few Christmas presents. I'll be back around noon if that's all right."

Tom nodded. "Sounds good. I'll let Dumbledore know you're coming early. I'll tell him you're coming back between twelve and one. Give you some time to shop."

"Thanks. I didn't think of that." Tom smiled but a customer called him. Harry let him be and headed out into Diagon Alley. With Tom sending Dumbledore a message that was one less shop he needed to visit. He didn't have a lot on money to spend, just over seventy-five galleons. Lily's parent's sent him the monthly allotment the Ministry sent them, despite Harry's protestations and insistence they keep it.

Well, this would be a chance for him to repay them, or at least give them a gift for everything they had done. He actually found a perfect gift for them at Morgan's Precious Antiques. It was a lot like Moody's foe-glass except it would let someone speak to a person, wherever they were in the world. The model Harry was looking at though cost sixty galleons. He sighed, regretting he didn't have more money to spend.

"Do you see anything you like dear," asked one of the ladies working the floor.

"I did actually." He pointed at the opaque crystal ball. "But I can't afford it. It would be for my friend's mum. She is a muggle but wants to stay in touch with her daughter."

The lady was silent for a moment, thinking. "Well, if that is all you need, we have rings with crystal inlays that can be charmed in much the same way. Your friend's mum would only be able to talk to her daughter though. Once it is charmed it cannot be altered."

"No, that'd be great. How much would the ring be?"

"Are you a student?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well I'll tell you what. You advertise where you bought this lovely gift and I'll sell it to you for 9 galleons and eight sickles. Do we have a deal?"

Harry smiled. "Yes ma'am! That would be great."

The woman smiled warmly. "All right, come with me and we'll charm the ring with the signature of the daughter. Do you know her full name?"

"Yes ma'am." She nodded, pulling a ring with a small crystal inlay just like the larger ball. She waved her wand over the ring, muttering an enchantment. When she prompted Harry, he gave Lily's full name. The ring glowed a pale yellow. "Is it set?"

"Yes sir. Now, warn you friend that she won't need to talk out loud when her mum calls her. The ring will transmit her thoughts so no one thinks she's mad."

"Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it dear. Was there anything else?" Harry looked through the shop but didn't find anything else. With one last _thank you_, he left to look at the other shops.

Harry spent the next hour buying gifts for the James, Remus, and Sirius at Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. He wanted to buy them something more but he was only their friend right now. He thought about things he would buy for Ron, Fred, and George, figuring that would be appropriate.

Harry didn't want to buy a damn thing for Peter but he didn't want to risk upsetting the others. While buying a book for Remus, he found a book about the honorable and noble history of the Godric Gryffindor and Gryffindor house. The rat probably wouldn't read the book but maybe he would and take a hint.

Harry was walking back to the bar when he noticed a few witches and wizards, maybe a dozen, walking purposefully through the crowd. He didn't like the look on any of their faces; they were no smiles, just a cold seriousness that unsettled him. The man bringing up the rear leered at Harry as they passed, his finger toying with the end of his goatee like a villain in those old silent movies.

Harry carefully kept his face straight, waiting for a few seconds until he was sure the Death Eaters had turned down Knockturn Alley. When he thought they were gone, he turned around, wand in hand, both concealed by his robes. He disillusioned and silenced himself when he no one was looking. He also cast his extra-sensory spells.

As he turned the corner, he could barely spot Karkaroff's robes about twenty yards in front of Harry. The alley was cramped and crowed, making it hard for Harry to maneuver without hitting people. Eventually he lost Karkaroff. Swearing sulfurously, he picked up the pace, not caring who or what he hit. He couldn't find them and was about to head back to the main alley to see what he could do in case they attacked when the front windows of a shop blasted open. Harry fell to the ground just as the six Death Eaters and three Dementors flew out on broomsticks.

The crowd by the window when the explosion went off were down and screaming. Harry was about to help them when he heard a loud, shrill screech coming from the shop. He nearly fainted when he saw what came out.

One of the Death Eaters, its hood up and magically protecting his face, was prodding a gorgon. The other onlookers screamed and ran at the sight of the eight-foot tall monster, the snakes snapping at a few who couldn't get away in time. Leaving the injured, Harry ran straight back to the main alley. He couldn't fight this monster, most especially not in this ridiculously cramped space.

But he did not just flee. As he ran, he tried to slow the beast down. He didn't want to hurt the Death Eater controlling it. Even though it should have been impossible, that witch or wizard was keeping the monster for wantonly slaughtering everyone in sight. For the sake of all the innocent shoppers, that tamer needed to be kept alive.

Harry felt bad as he blew chunks out of the walls and holes in the ground. People trying to flee the monsters were clogged just as bad. Most would die. But while Harry felt bad, if he didn't slow down the monster, more would die when it finally broke into the open.

Harry was infuriated to see the destruction the Death Eaters and Dementors were raining on Diagon Alley. Shops were on fire forcing people into the street and the clutches of the Dementors, and eventually the gorgon.

"Where the bloody hell are the Aurors?" Not one khaki robe was anywhere in the crowd. People were fighting but they were nothing but an armed mob. Without any semblance of discipline, the Death Eaters were carving through the ranks.

Another screech told Harry the gorgon was coming fast. Harry raised his most powerful wall of light at the intersection where the beast would break out. It was up just bare seconds before the beast slammed into the shield. It's wails and screeches became louder as the light of the shield burned its skin. But it would break out eventually, probably very soon.

Trying to figure out what he could do, Harry spotted a Death Eater flying low, picking off kids. Snarling with hatred, Harry raised a wall of rock in his path. The Death Eater swerved around the wall, right into Harry's path. He jumped onto the back of the broom, putting the Death Eater under the imperius.

"Fly over the gorgon," Harry commanded. The Death Eater mumbled and turned his broom towards the gorgon. As they flew over the beast, Harry commanded the Death Eater to jump and fight the gorgon. Harry didn't wait to see the Death Eater die. He took control of the broom and started after the other Death Eaters.

There were maybe a dozen now. Harry didn't see anymore coming and assumed they had already been waiting for the others. Most were gleefully picking off the people trying to flee, creating a terrible jam on the only road out. While he wanted to kill them, he spotted two at the head of the alley, wands raised straight in the air. They were maintaining an anti-apparation ward, keeping the Auror out and the shoppers in.

Harry flew behind one, flying through the smoke from Florean's burning shop. "Atrum textus redimio!" A massive green net of magical energy shot at the Death Eater, knocking him off the broom and wrapping tightly around him. The other Death Eater's eyes widened behind his mask and he pulled down his wand and flew away as fast a he could.

Harry followed hot on his heels, unaware of the sudden appearance of sixty Aurors. His mind was only on the Death Eater. They tried to dip and dodge but Harry would not be shaken. "CONFRINGO!" The orange spell hit the back of the broom, blowing it twigs and kindling. The spell also blew the Death Eaters feet and legs to shreds. He nosedived, screaming as he tried to staunch the blood. He should've just tried to disappear. The nose of the broom and his head crashed into the ground with a sickening crunch.

The other Death Eaters seemed to figure the game was up and were flying away. Harry spotted Karkaroff, now leading the Death Eaters fleeing. He was about to fly after them when he heard screams from below. The gorgon had finally broken free and the Death Eater controlling it was long gone. Eight Aurors were killed in the space of maybe thirty seconds.

The beast needed to be slowed but Harry knew no spells that could do that. He rubbed his hand over the nose of his broom. _Think Harry. Come on now_. His hand was over the broom when he got an idea. He conjured a spear and attached it to the end of the broom. He flew high above the gorgon, trying to lead the beast. When he thought he had an opening, he shot straight down.

The monster saw him coming but Harry was ready. Harry cast another blinding spell, _vires caecus_. The bright light blinded the gorgon and let Harry aim without being turned to stone. Just before he hit the beast, he jumped off the broom. The spear impaled the monster and lodged in ground. The monster was still screeching and rubbing its eyes but the snakes on its head were trying to snap at the broom.

"Are you all right young man," one of the Aurors asked, running up to Harry when he stopped rolling. Harry felt terrible but he was alive. He managed to nod. "That was a very brave thing you did. I think the monster is trapped."

"No…not," he said, the pain in his side blurring his vision. The Auror called for a healer. She did a few spells, healing the minor wounds and easing the worst of the pain. "Thank you," he said when he could speak. "The monster is not trapped. Once it can see, it will break free. We need to destroy it."

"How?" The Auror shook his head. "Don't worry about that now. Let me take you to my commanding officer." He gently lifted Harry by the arm but Harry shook him off.

"There's no time damn it. We need to kill it now."

"How then?"

"Grab as many of people as you can. We need to circle the monster and trap it in a wall of light. Do you know the spell?"

"I do but how do you know it? That is an Auror level spell."

Harry snarled with frustration. "Don't ask questions damn it! Just grab as many Aurors as you can." Harry didn't wait for him to say anything else. He grabbed a few Aurors who were circling the beast. Then he spotted Moody, telling no one to approach the monster. "Sir, I think I know how to kill the gorgon."

Moody gave him a measuring look. "You're the boy who blinded the beast. Very brave but how do think we can kill it."

"Trap it in a wall of light." Harry sighed when the Auror gave him an intense look. He knew the question even before it came. "How the bloody hell do you know about that shield?"

"Sir, I know Latin and heard one of the people raise a very bright shield that trapped the monster in Knockturn Alley for a little while." Harry pointed at the beast and all the burn marks from the spell. "I'm guessing if a bunch of us can raise the shield and choke the beast, it'll die."

Moody thought about it, muttering under his breath and pointing around the beast. Finally he nodded. "I think you're onto something." He shouted orders, organizing maybe two dozen Aurors in a circle. The monster was thrashing madly but now it was trying to pull the broom free. Time was running out.

Harry was in the circle but he was the only one who shouted the incantation, deciding Moody would be more suspicious if he was silent. With twenty-five Aurors all concentrating on the spell, the light was brighter then anything Harry had ever seen this side of the sun. The monster was screaming like a tortured banshee now. Harry saw it pounding the shield, even now making the magic waver.

None of the Aurors pulled back. Red in the face and sweating, they held the shield until the monster finally fell silent. Moody made them hold the spell for another minute to make sure it was dead. When they lifted the shield, the gorgon was a shriveled husk, it's once terrifying and deadly eyes now black and unseeing.

Moody looked down at the beast, a satisfied smile on his face. He ordered the Aurors to start evac and search. Witches and wizards from the engineering regiment started cleaning up debris and repairing the buildings. All in all, the destruction could have been worse, especially considering the fact a gorgon was involved. Harry was grateful no one really knew his true role. He didn't think he had done anything spectacular but he had drawn enough notice blinding the beast and suggesting the wall of light.

As his Aurors carried out his orders, Moody turned back to Harry. "That was a real good idea, not to mention what you did trapping the monster. What's your name son?"

"Nathan. Nathan Evans sir." Moody clapped his shoulder, a very proud look on his face, something Harry only remembered seeing from Crouch when he impersonated Moody.

"Well Nathan Evans, I'll see that you get an Order of Merlin for this. First class if I can swing it but at least a second class award."

"Sir…"

"Enough of that 'sir' boy. My name is Moody."

"Moody, I don't deserve an award. Your Aurors did everything. I only suggested the spell."

Moody forcefully shook his head. "Nonsense. If you hadn't trapped the beast, we never could've used the spell. And besides, you didn't see me thinking of a wall of light. I know you pulled it out of you ass, but some of the greatest things we ever do happen by luck. You'll accept your award and like it."

Harry sighed but before he could complain Moody waved down two healers. "Take care of the boy. Are you a student?"

"Yes sir. I was about to return to the school when the…" he waved his hand at one of the captured Death Eaters.

"They're Death Eaters. Not even a citizen are you? Well, that rules out an Order of Merlin first class."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want the award anyway."

Moody smiled. "I heard you the first time boy. Like I said, you don't have a choice. Anyway, they'll clean and heal you up and take you back to Hogwarts." He gave Harry a serious look. "Be proud. You saved a lot of lives today."


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 19

Professor Dumbledore was waiting for Harry, his arms held wide and his eyes twinkling with pride. "Mr. Evans, if I cannot be the first, let me be the second to congratulate on a job well done. You showed outstanding courage and unparalleled nerve today."

Harry couldn't help smiling. "Thank you sir. I told the one Auror, Moody I believe, that I just made the suggestion. Luck I happened to hear the spell before they arrived."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Your modesty does you credit Mr. Evans. In such terrible circumstances, even the greatest witches and wizards sometimes become unnerved. For a seventeen wizard to approach an attack by a dozen Death Eaters and a gorgon with such calm, it is simply amazing. And from what Alastor tells me, you contributed to the shield that defeated the monster."

Harry snorted. "If by contributed you mean I yelled the incantation and held my wand, then yes sir, I contributed."

The headmaster chuckled again. "If you wish Mr. Evans. Far too many people believe they are smarter then they really are. It is most refreshing to find someone who thinks they are dumber then he really is. But even if you don't want to believe it, you did well today."

"Does the rest of the school know about the attack sir? It's been about an hour since I was being treated."

"Your cousin knows. I brought her in and told her personally after speaking with Alastor. I expect news of the attack will be in the _Evening Prophet_. I'll make an announcement tonight at dinner as well. Thankfully no parents or relatives of any students were murdered but they deserve to know what happened, to show them how evil Lord Voldemort and his minions truly are."

Harry was proud he kept a straight face as Dumbledore explained. He didn't think Lily would be too happy with him sticking his head in the lion's mouth. She knew what kind of spells he could do and how impulsive he was. If Dumbledore told her the Aurors had been held out until the wards suddenly fell, she'd know Harry had something to do with it.

He'd cross that bridge when he came to it. "If it is all the same Professor, can you not mention my involvement?"

Dumbledore studied his face, looking over the tips of his fingers. "If that is what you wish Mr. Evans, I will make sure not to mention you. Just let me say that if not tonight then very soon your name will be all over the papers. Alastor Moody is going to push hard for your Order of Merlin and that means a story will inevitably be written, likely glorifying your accomplishments—or questioning them depending on who writes the story. I always find it better if people hear the news straight from the horse's mouth as the muggles like to say."

Harry reflected on what the headmaster said. Every fiber of his being shouted out to stay anonymous but Dumbledore was right. Eventually the story would get out he had some part in the battle. "All right sir. I see your point," he said grudgingly. The headmaster gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Soliciting no reaction from Harry, he motioned towards the door. "Come with me Mr. Evans. I'll walk with you down to the Great Hall."

Harry and the headmaster didn't talk on the way down, Harry's mind racing with the implications of what he had done. He didn't see what else he could've done. If he had just ignored the Death Eaters, Merlin knew how many more would have died. Plus he would have blood on his hands.

But what would this do to the future. That was his biggest concern. As he walked with Dumbledore, he started to calm down. It was one raid, probably one meant more to scare then actually achieve anything. Voldemort wasn't involved so he must not have had any real expectations going into the attack. Harry thought about the few Death Eaters he saw. None of them were in his inner circle, not that he could tell. That said something about how much he really cared about the attack. He'd be upset but probably would not livid.

It was with considerably higher spirits that Harry entered the Great Hall. Dumbledore noticed his change in demeanor and gave another proud look before Harry took a seat between Bryn and Liam. The headmaster stood behind his podium, the students falling silent almost immediately. Dumbledore never made a speech before a meal unless something major had happened.

"Good evening everyone. Before dinner, I have news that I feel you should hear. Two and a half hours ago, a dozen Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley." Many of the students in the hall gasped or exclaimed in surprise and, for some, fear. The headmaster held his hands up, asking for quiet. "Alastor Moody informed me that only 22 people perished, including 4 Death Eaters. The injured victims are being treated in St. Mungos and all are expected to make full recoveries."

One student shouted "Thank God" and the sentiment was echoed by everyone in the hall. Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes, we are fortunate the attack was not worse. In fact, we are beyond fortunate because the Death Eaters did not attack the holiday shoppers alone. With them was a fearsome dark creature, a monster not seen in Britain in over two hundred years: a gorgon."

The few students who knew what a gorgon practically exploded, bombarding Dumbledore or perhaps God with questions or simply cursed in relieved astonishment. Harry chanced a look over at Gryffindor table. James was pale and gesturing purposefully. Harry suspected he was telling his housemates just what a gorgon was. Their reactions confirmed his suspicions.

Harry was more interested in his mum's reaction. She was pale, just as pale as James. Her eyes kept flicking to Harry. He couldn't read her expression or tell what she was thinking. He wished he could have been there when Dumbledore talked to her.

Dumbledore waited for something approaching silence to return. "The Aurors arrived just as the Death Eaters were felling but it was one of our own who helped the Aurors defeat the monster. Mr. Nathan Evans, displaying remarkable courage and incredible nerve, pinned the monster to the ground by conjuring a spear on the end of a broomstick and flying it through the monster's chest. Then Mr. Evans suggested a spell to Alastor Moody, a very powerful shield called the wall of light. At his suggestion, Alastor and two dozen Aurors circled the monster and used the shield to kill the monster."

Because of his spectacular catch in the first quidditch match and the fact he saved Ashton, most of the school knew about whom Dumbledore was referring. Their heads all turned to find Harry, much to his discomfort.

Dumbledore noticed his discomfort and cleared his throat significantly. "Considering the trying circumstances Mr. Evans has just endured, I expect you to let him be to sort out his feelings. Instead remember how fortunate we are that this attack was not worse. Lord Voldemort will stop at nothing to gain power, even if that means attacking innocents. We must never forget the evil he represents. And we must never give up the good fight, even in the face of terrible and impossible odds."

Dumbledore said no more, letting the students absorb the enormity of the situation, even if it was not as terrible as it could have been. After a few seconds of reflective silence he sat down and the food appeared.

Of course people were talking about nothing else but the attack, trying to guess just exactly what happened. If Harry had a galleon for every different story, he could've filled a vault the size of the Great Hall. And none of the stories were even remotely close to what actually happened. Some even questioned that Dumbledore got the facts straight. A common theme was the certainty that a gorgon attack would result in more deaths then just 21.

And of course people were pointing at and whispering about Harry himself. He took that in stride, expecting nothing different even if it left a sour taste in his mouth. What upset him more was the attention Lily was getting. He couldn't make what they were saying of course but her fellow Gryffindors and even some Hufflepuffs were trying to ask her about what happened. The marauders were trying to deflect the questions, Sirius and James going so far as to threaten to hex the next person who bothered Lily.

Harry tried to get a read of how Lily was feeling but she didn't really look at him and when she did, he still couldn't read her expression. Deciding he wasn't very hungry, Harry told his friends he was going to lay down before desert. As he left, he saw Lily watching him go. She didn't get up right away and he didn't expect she would. He would wait for her in the Room of Requirement.

While he waited, he would try to talk to his friends. Luckily Luna and Ron were playing a game of chess. She was up by two pawns, something few people could ever do against Ron. "You're losing it Ron," he said while his friend was staring intently at the board.

"Stuff it Potter," he said without rancor, still focused on the board. Luna and Harry smiled. Save that bottomless pit he called a stomach, nothing on God's green earth could break Ron from a chessboard when he was into it. "Ah," he said triumphantly, taking one of Luna's knights. "Okay Potter, Lily tells us you got into a little disagreement with some Death Eaters today in Diagon Alley. You even picked a fight with an ancient Mediterranean monster from what she tells us."

Harry nodded. "I was shopping in Diagon Alley and was heading back to the bar when I passed a few Death Eaters. I actually didn't know who they were until Karkaroff leered at me."

"You saw Karkaroff? The old Durmstrang headmaster."

"I did. Bloody git still has that goatee."

"Has always had the goatee," Luna corrected gently.

"Of course. Anyway, I followed them into Knockturn Alley until they all just flew out of some shop or pub. Then came the gorgon." Harry explained everything he did to slow down the beast, suddenly looking for sympathy. Ron and Luna both assured him he had no choice, easing his guilt some.

He went on to explain how he took out the two Death Eaters propping up the ward, thought he left out exactly how he took them out. They were proud, especially for how he stopped the Death Eater hurting kids. "That bloody bastard deserved to die," Ron ground out savagely. "You did the right thing you did."

"Ron! Watch your mouth," said an authoritative voice from the doorway. Lily was looking at Harry with her arms crossed. Not a good sign. She stepped out of the doorway, waiting for Harry to follow.

"Okay mum, I know what you're going to say," he said, trying to keep her calm.

"Oh really," she said, an eyebrow cocked. "Please, enlighten me."

"You're going to say I shouldn't have done anything, or that I should've come straight back to the castle."

Lily shook her head, walking over and rubbing Harry's arm. "That's not what I was going to say Harry. I'm very proud of you. James would have done the same thing in your shoes. He always leaps before he looks and never thinks about the odds."

"Then what's the problem?"

Lily sighed. "You may not realize it Harry, but I'm scared. I see what is happening to your friends and listen to everything you went through in your own time. I thought coming here would be a chance or you to escape all that, even if you had to train. When Professor Dumbledore told me Diagon Alley had been attacked and you were there…I thought I lost you." She started to cry. Harry went over to hug her. This made her cry harder.

"This is so strange Harry, all of this. Six months ago I was a normal teenager, or at least as normal as a witch can be. I had a great boyfriend and a great family. I was looking forward to my last year of school and being Head Girl. Then you came into my life." She started crying again.

Harry felt terrible. "I'm sorry Lily," he said quietly.

She lifted her head, sniffling. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because if I hadn't shown up, you wouldn't be going through all this."

Lily wrapped her arms around him tighter. "Harry, and again this will sound odd, but you are and will always be the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I didn't think I would end up loving you, not when you first came into my life. But you wore me down." She smiled, brushing his hair back behind his ear.

"And so when I heard you were in danger, my heart stopped. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I wanted to be there to protect you. I wanted you to be here in the castle, safe with me." She laughed. "Sweet Merlin, I sound like my mother. But I suppose that is to be expected." She hugged him tighter, her hand finding and squeezing his. "And in a couple of years when you're born for real, I'll know that whatever happens to James and I, you'll grow up into a wonderful young man. That's an experience not given to many moms I'd wager."

Harry couldn't speak and so he didn't try. He stayed in his mother's arms, and she stayed in his, for another ten minutes or so. Two unexpected voices broke up their embrace.

"Oi Potter…"

"You out there?"

Lily disentangled herself from his arms. "Harry, who is your friend?"

Harry smiled. "That's not one friend mum." Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her into the portrait room. Sure enough Fred and George's portraits were active, the twins smiling as Harry came into sight. Then they noticed Lily. "And this must be the lovely Lily Evans. Good evening my dear," said Fred snapping to attention.

"Enchanted. Ronald has told us a little about you but it is certainly a pleasure to meet you in person," said George, doffing a top hat he conjured.

Lily looked at the two men with amusement. "Cute friends Harry. Nice to meet you both," she said. The twins simpered and fluttered their hands, making Lily and Harry laugh.

"What are you guys doing in Hogwarts? How'd you get past the Carrows?"

"It seems the D.A.'s new fearless leader…"

"Figured out a way to open a tunnel from the castle…"

"To the Hog's Head."

"And they're here bringing some supplies Neville's grandmother ordered for us," added Ron.

"Like what?"

"Mostly our disillusionment jewelry and accessories."

"We have some new accessories that conjure stronger shield then what we sold last year too."

"We also included some decoy detonators…"

"And other goodies to cause mayhem."

"That's good. The students need all the help they can get," said Harry. Lily nodded vigorously.

"Couldn't agree more and that why we'll be working more closely with Hogwarts…"

"Now that Neville found a way to let us travel…"

"Between the school and Hogsmeade without being captured."

"And now Harry…"

"And Miss Lily," added Fred with a wink.

"We'll talk to you later." The twins ducked through a portrait of Godric Gryffindor, stopping to shake hands with Ron and hug Luna.

After they were gone, Ron checked his watch. "All right Harry, we'd love to stay but we need to get back to our dorms. I'm glad you're safe mate and good job against that gorgon."

"Good night Harry. We'll talk to you soon." Luna blew Harry a kiss and waved good night at Lily. Harry watched to make sure his friends got out safely.

"Come Harry. We should leave to. I'm sure your friends are wondering where you are." Harry followed her but halfway to the door he stopped and turned around. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"I forgot about the hor…the weapon I sent you. Come on, I'll need you help destroying it." Harry took out his wand, waving it over the perimeter of the box, or as much as he could reach. Satisfied no dark magic had leaked, he put his wand through a diagonal hole in one side. "All right. I'm to cast a rather dangerous spell. The wards should hopefully be strong enough to contain the magic but we need to be here to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Wait. What spell are you going to use?"

"Fiendfyre," he said, not meeting her eyes.

"Harry, are you out of your freaking mind? Fiendfyre is dangerous. What if we can't contain it?"

"We'll be fine. The room will shrink as the fire grows, smothering the flames. The wards should contain the worst of the fire but we may need to mop up the rest." Lily looked uncertain, nay, she looked horrified. "Lily, it's the only way to destroy the weapon. We have no choice."

She hesitated but took out her wand after a few second. "What do we need to do?"

"First I need to cast the spell. When I pull my wand out, I need you to be ready to wave your wand over the hole to seal the stone. You have to be quick. After that, we'll stand on opposite sides and just do what we can to contain any magic that breaks out."

Lily came over to his side, wand at the ready. "Okay. On three. 1…2…_3_! _Abyssus incendia!_" Harry almost lost his grip and his wand but he managed to pull his wand out. Lily almost immediately waved her wand over the whole, sealing in the fire.

Even through the wards, they heard the roaring fire and felt heat emanating from the structure. Harry moved all around the room, trying to detect any leaks but—thankfully—he found none. Lily mostly stayed out his way, amazed by his focus. He had come a long way since the first time she thumped him.

As the room shrunk, the force of the magic and intense heat diminished. The room disappeared without incident, much to the relief of Lily and Harry. And with the room went the third horcrux. Harry smiled as he walked through the space where the room once stood. They were halfway to finally making Voldemort mortal.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

**_Best wishes to all of you who have read and continue to read. Please have a safe and very happy New Years. I look forward to hearing from you in 2010._**

Chapter 20

After hours in the Ministry was a very boring post to have. Simon Caldwell twirled his wand, trying to stay awake. He hated this shift but as the newest member of Magical Law Enforcement, more often then not he was "volunteered" to cover this shift.

He was thinking about his girlfriend, what they would be doing if he were home with her, when a lone _pop_ reverberated from down the hall. He glanced at his watch.

_11:38_.

He scratched his head. It wasn't unheard of for people to show up this late, especially unspeakables. But with the holidays approaching it was highly improbable people would bother coming in this late. Caldwell pulled out his wand and stepped out from behind his desk. "Who's there," he called, seeing the silhouettes of two people approaching.

Caldwell didn't see one of the people raise their wand. He didn't have time to protect himself from the stunner that slammed into his chest, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy bound and gagged Caldwell, tucking his wand in the back of his pants behind his robes. He placed wards around the entrance hall and the fireplaces to prevent anyone from coming. He did not expect anyone but he did not intend to take ay risks. If the wards went down, Caldwell's wand would heat up and Lucius would disappear.

Malfoy grabbed the other man with him, an Auror. Malfoy threw him into the lift and proceeded up the Auror office. The man tried to fight against his bonds. "Enough," Malfoy snarled, jamming his wand into the Auror's side, sending a powerful electric shock through his body. The man's muted screams filled the lift.

When they reached the right floor, Malfoy manhandled the Auror down the halls until he reached Moody's office. After making sure his hood and mask were in place, Malfoy removed the bonds. The Auror still had some fight in him, trying to punch Malfoy out. The Death Eater sidestepped the punch and shocked him again, stronger this time.

"I do not have time for this nonsense," Malfoy said, his voice distorted. "Now you will help me find this wizard…" Malfoy held out picture of a young, handsome wizard. "Or I will kill you."

The Auror was panting hard, staring up at Malfoy with eyes full of hate. Then he spit up at Malfoy. The Death Eater calmly waved his wand over his robes, removing the spit. Then he cast a torturing curse on the Auror. He held it for nearly a minute. When he lifted the curse, the Auror threw up violently.

"I do not have time for these games fool!" Malfoy grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him on the desk, scattering the papers and quills. Malfoy hand gripped his throat like a vise; his wand jabbed up into his lungs, his most powerful current of magical electricity flowing through the Auror's body. After another minute, Malfoy let go of his throat and stopped the curse. He waited another few minutes for the Auror to recover. "Now, find this wizard!"

The Auror coughed and sputtered, his whole body shaking from the force of the electricity. But he had enough strength to play around with the contraption on Moody's desk. Malfoy watched him push buttons and pull levers. At one point he asked for the exact name of the person he was seeking. Malfoy gave it to him and waited.

After nearly ten minutes a small piece of parchment came out of the base. The Auror read it and gulped. "Give it to me," Malfoy said, snatching the piece of parchment out of his hands. He snarled furiously. He had expected something like this, had told the Dark Lord it was a possibility.

The Trace could normally find any underage witch or wizard in the country, no matter what wards happened to be in place. One exception was Hogwarts. Another was a place protected by the Fidelius Charm. Wherever this wizard was living, the Fidelius Charm protected it.

Fuming, Malfoy set the parchment on fire. The Dark Lord would not be pleased and would not care that Malfoy had done all he could. Malfoy cleaned up the office and was about to grab the Auror when he had an idea. The Ministry could not use the Trace to break through the Fidelius but there were older charms, more powerful ones used by the oldest magical families. Perhaps all was not lost.

Malfoy pulled the Auror down to the entrance hall. He modified Caldwell's memory and sat him back behind his desk with his wand. He then healed all the wounds on the captured Auror, modified his memory, and shoved him threw a fire. Just before Caldwell started groaning and rubbing his head, Malfoy spun on his heel and disappeared.

He reappeared only about ten miles from the Ministry, in one of the neighboring suburbs. He was pleased to see lights still on in the house he was looking for. At the gate, he pricked his finger and placed it on the tongue of one of the metal serpents. The snake glowed green for a second before the wards deactivated long enough for Malfoy to step through.

He was not surprised to see a large woman waiting for him in the doorway. She was smiling as he approached. "Lucius, it is wonderful to see you my dear. How is my niece?"

Lucius returned the smile, though it was a little forced. "She is as well as can be expected Walburga. She is still recovering from the miscarriage." Now Malfoy frowned, genuinely sad. He and Narcissa had been married for over two years and this was their third failed attempt to have a child. The first two had been stillborn. Everything had been going so well with this baby. Then two weeks before she was ready to give birth, the baby's heart just stopped. Narcissa was still hurting, as was Lucius.

Walburga nodded sympathetically. Lucius felt a twinge of guilt for a moment, the irony of the situation dawning on him. Here he was feeling sad about the loss of a child never born and he was about to ask Walburga to put the life of one of her sons in jeopardy. But he forced the guilt away, remembering that she effectively disowned him anyway.

A few minutes later, drinking tea in the kitchen with Orion, Lucius plucked up the nerve to ask them what he came for. They listened without expression. When he finished, they were silent for a couple of minutes, exchanging looks with one another. At last they turned to him.

"We will help you Lucius, and help the Dark Lord. But I want your word that you will do all you can to make sure my son is not killed," said Orion.

"And we want him returned to us. He needs to be punished for his betrayal and reminded of where his loyalties truly lay," added Walburga heatedly.

Lucius considered their request. He was really not in any position to promise them anything. Once the Dark Lord was made aware of the protections in place, he would lead the attack personally. He would not care what promises were made and by whom; if Sirius got in the way, he would die.

Even so, Lucius could not refuse their terms. If he returned to the Dark Lord empty handed, he would be punished. "I will do everything in my power to make sure Sirius is not killed and returned to you. On this you have my word."

Orion nodded and left the kitchen. Lucius listened to him to go upstairs until his footsteps fell silent. He was not gone long though. When he returned he had a piece of parchment with the exact coordinates of where Sirius was living. "Thank you both. I cannot tell you how much the Dark Lord will appreciate everything you have done," Lucius said with a smile.

Walburga and Orion accepted his thanks and took down the wards so he could leave. When Lucius reappeared outside a villa his father bought in Northern France, right on the Channel, he ran straight for the Dark Lord's office on the third floor.

"Enter," a soft cold voice hissed when he knocked. Lucius entered calmly, his head bowed. "What news do you have for me Lucius?"

"Milord, I have discovered the location of Potter Manor." He chanced a look at his master. The Dark Lord was stroking Nagini, a fearsome smile forming on his face.

"Outstanding work Lucius. Very resourceful approaching the boy's parents and even more so promising them you will return their son." Lucius gulped. He did not expect the Dark Lord to know about the promise.

"Do not worry Lucius. I am not upset. You did what was necessary to find the Potters. But I am not without honor myself. If the opportunity presents itself to save the boy you may. He is a powerful young wizard. If he can be brought back to the proper path, he will be a great asset to our cause."

Lucius bowed. "Absolutely milord. I will of course not place our operation in jeopardy to fulfill my vow."

"I do not expect you would. The consequences for such negligence would be severe."

* * *

As Christmas drew closer, Harry didn't really know how to feel. His mum already made plans with James to take the whole family to Potter Manor for the holiday. Naturally he was looking forward to spending the holiday with all his grandparents and parents. Lily kept reminding him that Sirius' cousin Andromeda would also be there.

Actually, she was focused on little Nymphadora, who was going to turn four on December 21st. Lily was in love with the little girl, something that didn't surprise Harry given her personality. What did surprise him was how James would dote on Tonks, much to the amusement of Remus and Peter. Even Sirius, with all his glorious male bravado, visibly softened when the others talked about Tonks.

In spite of the holiday, he was feeling bad because his friends would not be leaving Hogwarts in his time. With the Ministry still outside his control, Voldemort did not want the students leaving the school for fear they would not come back. Neville and Hermione thought that if Voldemort did not conquer the Ministry soon, he would resort to using the students and the school as hostages. With their children in danger, how much pressure would the community put on Mr. Weasley to step down? Perhaps they would simply throw their lot in with Voldemort and revolt.

One good piece of news his friends had was that the Carrows couldn't torture the students any more, not with magic anyway. They did not know how to explain it, nor did the other professors. Using Dobby, the leaders of the D.A. learned that Snape had promised Lord Voldemort personally he would look into this sudden change in fortune. Snape's only explanation was that dormant wards must have been reactivated, most likely brought on by the fear and anxiety.

Lord Voldemort was not pleased and he demanded Snape summon to the Carrows to his office and order the non-magical torture of the students. And through Dobby, they knew Snape had relayed Voldemort's orders.

Yet it had been over a week since that order was issued and not one student had been tortured, magically or non-magically. The Carrows were as verbally abusive as they always had been but there was not one incident of physical violence in December.

Harry was baffled by this sudden change, especially since their precious Lord Voldemort ordered the use of non-magical violence and Snape had signed off on its usage. Ron, Neville, and Ernie were just as surprised and confused. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna did not seem so surprised but they didn't explain why.

"We're still doing some work to see if we're right," Hermione said on December 15th, the night before Harry would be leaving Hogwarts. She was the only one in the Room and Harry could tell she was very tired. That kept him from pushing her.

"All right Hermione. Be careful though."

She managed to smile. "How many times have Ron and I told you that over the years Harry? I promise we'll be okay. Don't worry."

"That's like telling water not to be wet," Harry replied. Hermione didn't say anything. "All right, I'll let it go. Have a happy Christmas." Harry frowned. "I wish I could be there with you guys."

Hermione looked at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Thank you Harry. You can help me have a happy Christmas by having fun with your family." She cocked her head. "I bet this is the greatest present you could have. Spending time with your family, all the people you saw in the Mirror Erised." She dipped her head and Harry saw she was crying now, softly but still noticeable. "I wish we could be there with you."

A couple tears slid down his cheek. Harry rubbed the away. "Tell the others I miss them and I wish them a happy Christmas." Hermione nodded. Harry put a hand on her portrait. Hermione didn't hesitate to walk over and put her hand on his. The cold feel of parchment and paint brought home to Harry just how far away he was from the people he loved. "Tell Ron and Ginny I love them too and that I hope to be back home soon."

Hermione swallowed. "Of course Harry." She slowly and reluctantly pulled her hand back into her chest. "I'll see you on the 8th when you get back."

"I'll be here at seven, after you guys have dinner." Hermione nodded pulled her robes tight around her shoulders. Harry watched her leave.

She stopped at the doorway. "Merry Christmas Harry. I love you. So do Ron and Ginny." She blew him a kiss. Harry jerked his head as if it hit him on the cheek. She laughed and left.

"I love you too," he said as the door closed.

* * *

The next morning, Harry's mind was racing over what he said last night, when he said he loved Hermione. Just how did he mean it? More importantly, how did she mean it?

He shook his head. "Get a grip Potter," he said, admonishing himself. He told her to tell Ron and Ginny he loved them. It was natural he would feel the same for Hermione. Besides, he was still in love with Ginny…wasn't he? Of course he was. Ginny was smart, funny, adventurous, and attractive. Yes he broke it off with her at Dumbledore's funeral but so what.

And then there was Ron, who Harry knew loved—loved loved—Hermione, had loved her since they were in the first year, if not since they met on the train. "That's right," he said. "I'm just overemotional because I miss them. I'm sure Hermione is the same way with me gone and everything that is happening."

He was still going over everything in his mind that morning. His mum was no help whatsoever. She just smiled when he told her about the exchange and how she was feeling. "Damn it, what is so funny," he growled when she wouldn't stop smiling.

"Language Harry," she scolded jokingly. Harry sighed impatiently, earning another smile. "What's so funny is how you're acting, just like James used to when he was going out with a girl and I walked into a room. He would get nervous and then he would walk away and talk to Sirius with those mirrors. 'I don't know if I can do this Padfoot?' 'I mean I like Destiny but…' It's just the same."

Harry sighed. "James has always loved you. Are you saying I love Hermione?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure you do Harry. Whether or not you love her like you are thinking is something else entirely. When I first met you, you thought I was Ginny. Your actions showed me you trusted her a great deal. You also look at her with a sense of longing whenever you're talking with the others. Of course you show the same look when speaking with Ron and Hermione."

"As for Hermione, you've known her for years. She has been at your sides during some of the most trying times in your life. She has risked her life to protect you. Besides me, I can't think of anyone else you are so open and honest with, and that includes Ginny."

"So you're saying…"

Lily walked over and shook Harry's shoulder gently. "I'm saying this is something you have to figure out on your own. Obviously you have strong feelings for both. Give it time. Like you said, you're emotional because you miss your friends and have been away from them for so long." She stroked his hair when he still looked unsure. "Come on, let's get down to the Great Hall. Like Hermione said, you need to enjoy yourself over the holidays. The train ride will take your mind over what is bothering you now."

"I hope."

"It will," she said with boundless certainty.

And she turned out right. As the train neared London, Harry got swept up in the anticipation for the holidays. Except for Peter, who would be visiting family in Holland, all the marauders would be visiting Potter manor on Christmas day.

"Remus and Andromeda and her family will floo in on Christmas Eve and stay for the night to spend more time with Sirius. Dad will let the wards down at eight for you, your parents, and Nathan."

When the train pulled into King's Cross, everyone disbanded. Lily's parents were waiting on the muggle side. Emily pulled Lily in for a hug when she first walked through. "It's so good to see you dear," she said.

"Thanks mum. I'm happy to be home."

Harry walked over to his grandfather and shook his hand. "It's good to see you sir. I want to thank you for sending me the money the Ministry gave you."

"Don't mention it my boy. Far as I can tell, it's your money anyway. I just hoped you but it to good use."

Harry smiled. "I don't think you need to worry on that score. By the way, where is Petunia?" Harry already had an idea but he didn't see the problem in asking.

"She's with that great lump of a fiancé actually," he said coldly. "Don't tell I said that of course. I don't want to upset her."

"I won't. Will she be home tonight?"

He nodded. "Yes, I think she will. She's starting to move her things into the new house he bought in Little Whinging but she'll be living with us until she marries Dursley in June." He looked at Harry sharply. "Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged. "I made her a gift for Christmas and wanted to be sure I could give it to her." Harry looked over at Lily and Emily. "I just hope she likes it."


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 21

"Are you sure you want to do this Harry?"

Harry didn't answer. Part of him wanted to turn around and go home as fast as humanly possible. Another part—the larger part thankfully—told him he needed to keep going, that what he was doing here, even if it didn't do anything to help him in the future, would help Lily right here and right now.

So Harry stayed silent for the rest of the ride, staring at the houses as the muggle taxi drove sedately through the suburb of Little Whining. There were fewer houses now then Harry remembered, though plots were already marked and laborers were already at work.

The bus took an unfamiliar path to number four but Harry knew they were getting close. Lily seemed to sense his anxiety. She grabbed his hand and started rubbing his palm with her thumb. Harry was glad she decided to come even though he knew her to be more nervous then he was.

"We're here," barked the cabby as he pulled in front of number four. Harry closed his eyes, trying to keep his calm. "Come on boy. Pay up." Harry handed him ten pounds, well over the fare and appropriate tip. Harry didn't wait to see the driver's reaction, getting out of the car and holding the door open for Lily.

The pair stood outside the house for nearly a minute. It was a tolerable day, cold and cloudy but there was no snow falling. They were just walking up the front walk when Petunia opened the door with her arms crossed, staring hard at Harry and Lily. Harry felt Lily hesitate, something he didn't expect. He gently kept her moving forward. Out of respect for Petunia, Harry told her they were planning to come. He was surprised she acquiesced though he didn't delude himself and expect a warm welcome.

Petunia waited a few seconds in the doorway before letting them into the house. Vernon was sitting in the den, pretending to read. His little beady eyes were not moving though, locked firmly on Harry and Lily. Harry could imagine him cursing silently. Harry privately wondered what Petunia had said to convince him to let Harry and Lily come.

Petunia led them into the kitchen. As Harry passed the broom closet, his back stiffened, his arms pulling up on Lily's. She looked up at him a little worried. "Are you okay," she whispered. Harry again didn't answer. He just followed Petunia into the kitchen. Vernon had already closed the door into the family room and had the radio blaring.

Petunia didn't have any tea ready, again no surprise. She didn't offer them a seat either, instead just sitting at the head of the table. Harry glanced at Lily and held out a chair for her to sit. She took it with a word of thanks. Harry took a seat right across from Petunia, his green eyes staring right into her pale brown.

"Well, get on with it Nathan. Why are you here?" Lily frowned at Petunia's abruptness but Harry still met her eyes calmly.

"I'm sorry to intrude but I wanted to talk, perhaps to your fiancé as well if I could. I don't think he and I got off on the right foot." Harry smiled widely, his arm waving through the air. "Besides, I wanted to congratulate you on this…marvelous house. You dad told me you were planning to move in after your wedding. I did not know if I would be here that long and wanted to give you and Vernon a wedding gift now."

Petunia eyed him suspiciously, fingers tapping on the table. "Where did you get any money for gifts? I know father sent you all the money _your_ Ministry sent him. I also know it wasn't much."

Harry smiled inwardly. He had expected her to shoot him down outright, not ask him about the cost. He took that as a sign she was warming up to him, or at least was less likely to start cursing him.

"You're right of course. The gift is not large but I took a lot of time preparing it and thinking what you and Vernon would like. I hope you'll forgive me, buying this meant I had to make your Christmas gift myself."

Both Petunia and Lily stared at him. He hadn't told Lily why he was coming, at least not the full story. She didn't know anything about any gifts. Petunia just looked flabbergasted.

The folding door dividing the kitchen and family room opened with a series of loud snaps, like a short machine gun burst. "We don't want any blasted _freak _gifts," Vernon growled, his face going a familiar shade of puce. "I will not have anything in my house that will put my family at risk."

Harry met his eyes calmly, all his self-control going into keeping his anger in check. "I assure you Mr. Dursley this gift is not dangerous. In fact, I bought it at a shop in London. As I was telling Petunia, I won't be here long…"

"And bloody good riddance," Vernon muttered. Harry ignored the comment though Lily gave him an incensed look. Under the table, Harry set a hand on her leg, trying to calm her down. She still looked furious but she didn't look as if she would grab her wand and turn him into a cow either.

"As I was saying, I won't be here long but I want to show my appreciation to Petunia for taking me in and caring for me when I arrived. As she and I discussed before, she did not have to do anything of the sort but she did." He turned his gaze to Petunia who was looking at him with a calculating expression. Vernon spluttered and fumed but they both ignored him.

"I told you before that I did not help you, that if the choice was mine you would be burned at the stake."

Harry shook his head. "And I told you I don't believe that is true." He gave her a knowing look. "And if I remember correctly, you said you would have had the police lock me up, not burn me at the stake." Petunia blushed. She didn't expect Harry to remember everything they talked about.

She tried to cover it up with bluster. "Maybe I'm more upset know. You've invaded my home. We're normal people here. We have no use for freaks!" Vernon nodded vigorously, his many chins wobbling.

Harry frowned. "You invited us into your home Petunia, of your own free will. And besides, have either Lily or I shown the slightest inclination of, as you say, _freakish_ behavior. I am trying to show my appreciation for everything you have done for me since I have arrived. I am trying to express my pleasure that you have found a man you love and with whom you want to spend the rest of your life with. This is a happy occasion."

Harry reached into his jacket and pulled out the wedding gift, a small silver two-paneled picture frame, engraved with the date of their wedding and a quote: _I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you_. Inside were two pictures, one of Petunia and Vernon from secondary school, laughing and smiling. In the other frame was a picture of the pair dancing, Petunia's head resting on Vernon's chest, a small, soft smile on her face. Above her Vernon was kissing the top of her head, his hand on the back of her neck. Harry grandmother sent both pictures to Harry about a week before they came home.

Petunia stared at the gift with her hand over her mouth, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Vernon for his part was silent, his hands on Petunia's shoulders. He had no expression so Harry could not tell how he felt. Of course, knowing Vernon, silence was most definitely a good sign.

"Your mother sent me these pictures after I bought the frame. The quote I actually stole from Lily who I overheard saying it to James one night." Lily looked at Harry but thankfully neither Petunia nor Vernon noticed. "Listen, I don't know why you feel the way you do about me or Lily. I'll understand if you don't want to tell me but please realize that no matter what you feel about us, or about our abilities, I appreciate everything you and your family have done for me over the past few months and that your sister loves you." Harry motioned at Lily as Petunia looked up.

Petunia and Vernon didn't move though Petunia did give Lily a small nod, though no smile. It was more then Harry expected.

When no one said anything almost a minute, Harry motioned to Lily to get her coat. "Petunia, Vernon, thank you for having us. I'm sure you all are tired. I know you both have work tomorrow. Petunia I'll see you at home when you're there and I hope to see you both at Christmas."

Lily now looked as if she wanted to stay but at Harry's insistence, she followed him. They were just about to leave when Petunia yelled out for them to wait. Harry turned, not sure what to expect. "What is it Petunia," he asked nicely.

She was wringing her hands, looking a little nervous. "Thank you both for the gift," she mumbled softly. She retreated to the kitchen without another word. That didn't dampen the good feeling Harry had in his gut.

Harry and Lily walked down the street about a block before haling the knight bus. When they were seated, Lily hugged Harry fiercely, the closest hug she had ever given him to a Mrs. Weasley bear hug.

"What's this for," he asked when she pulled back.

She rubbed his hair, pushing it back behind his ear. "I can't believe you did that."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't do anything. Not yet anyway."

Lily smiled, looking down as she rubbed his hand. "Why are you doing all of this? It doesn't have anything to do with you."

Harry shook his head. "It does. Suffice it to say in my time Petunia still hates magic and resents you. Even though I understand better why she feels that way, I can't let her keep living with those feelings. Eventually they'll eat away at her. Now that I've had a chance to get to know her, I'm convinced in a few years she won't be happy. I can't let that happen, not if I can help it."

"Oh Harry, that's so sweet," she said, hugging him again.

"That's not all though," he said, causing her to pull back.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled. "I can tell how important it is to you to have your sister in your life. And I told you that I would help mend your relationship with her. I'm a man of my word."

Lily fell into him again, crying in earnest now. Harry stroked her air, ignoring the engineer's call and the bus pulling away from their home.

* * *

Emily Evans practically broke Harry in half when he and Lily finally returned home. Petunia had come over while they were gone to thank her for helping with the gift. Petunia didn't stay long because she and Vernon were going out for dinner but Emily said Petunia was in a better mood then she had seen her in in years.

"Vernon also left a message for you Nathan," she added as an aside, almost as if she almost forgot to mention it.

"What did he want, " Harry asked, hoping he already knew.

"He said he would come here for Christmas. He said if you want to talk to him, you could do it then. He didn't sound particularly enthusiastic. In fact, if Petunia hadn't pushed him I doubt he'd have said anything."

Harry smiled, things looking up. "I'm surprised Petunia told him I wanted to talk to him. I'm not sorry he agreed though."

Jacob gave him an appraising look. "Why do you want to talk to that great lump?"

"Jacob," his grandmother scolded. "Don't say those things. Petunia loves him." Jacob mumbled darkly but shrunk under the fierce stare of his wife. "We're grateful for whatever you say Nathan. You've done so much as it is."

Harry waved that away. "I haven't done anything. I was telling Lily the same thing. As for why I want to talk to Vernon," he said, turning to his grandfather but really addressing Lily. "He and I got off to a bad start. I want to make amends for that." No one at the table looked like they bought his answer but they didn't push him.

Later that night, Harry stayed up late helping Lily wrap her Christmas presents. She kept trying to prod him about what he bought her and her parents but he was excessively coy. "Fine you little bugger," she said in a huff, her irritation maybe five percent real. "Keep your secrets to yourself."

Harry looked over at the gifts they were wrapping with look of exaggerated concentration. "Where are _my _gifts dear mother," he asked. Then he exclaimed. "Oh this must be mine," he said grabbing a small sky blue dress and matching pair of shoes.

"Ha-ha-ha. See. I'm laughing my butt off. And give me that dress. It's for Nymphadora. You'll just mess it up." She neatly folded the dress and put in a box, magically wrapping it.

Harry chuckled, going back to wrapping gifts.

* * *

The following week leading up to Christmas Eve was one of the most peaceful of Harry's life. He did not see much of Petunia, who was still moving her things into number four. When he did see her, she was much warmer to him, at least by her standards. Harry didn't expect a complete 180, even after Christmas. He did hope he could make things better for Lily now and for himself in the future.

On Christmas Eve, Emily and Lily were trying to make sure everything was perfect for tonight. To make things easier on her, Harry was making trips between their house and Potter manor. This also gave him a chance to see the manor for the first time in his life.

Potter manor was maybe ten miles south of the border between England and Scotland, on a high hill overlooking broad green pastures and a couple small villages. The manor itself was a Romanesque building, laid over 2300 square feet. There were two separate gardens in the middle of the manor divided by a beautifully arched hallway dividing main part of the manor from the library and training room. All the furniture was updated, mostly Georgian revival.

When he first arrived in the living room, Harry was taken back by the sheer size and majesty of the room. At one end of the manor was a Christmas tree at least fifteen feet tall, beautifully decorated. What surprised Harry though was even though the manor screamed _money_, his parents were very down to earth, especially his grandfather.

"Do be honest, I haven't been into at least half the rooms in this place," he told Harry when he brought his last load of presents.

"If you tried dear you'd probably get loss. You know Nathan, I don't even think the house elves have been in every room."

"You all have house elves?"

His grandfather nodded, a small frown on his face. "We do. I doubt there is a distinguished magical family in all of Britain that does not have at least three. We have eight. Their family has worked for the Potter family for almost 700 years."

"Are they paid," he asked delicately, trying to get a feel or the type of people his grandparents were. He was relieved when both his grandparents and James nodded.

"They are. My several times great-grandfather hired them after the La Fey family had dismissed them. One of the conditions when they hired them was that they except pay. He was the first, and to date only person, to hire house elves and paid workers."

"They are very stubborn creatures though," interjected his grandmother. "James's great-grandfather was the last Potter to convince them to take a raise and accept rooms in the main part of the manor with the rest of us. They used to confine themselves to the basement." She shuddered. "That was the most difficult part to accept when I married Fred. I just couldn't believe at first that the house elves were not slaves and forced to live apart from he and his parents."

Harry spent another hour or so listening to stories of all the great things his family had done. The Potters always were at the forefront of improving relationships with magical non-humans and with muggles. A Potter has also served as a Hogwarts governor since Victoria Potter married the only son of Godric Gryffindor. When Harry expressed his surprise that they—and he—were related to the Gryffindor family, they brushed it aside.

"Nearly every old family has a tie to one founder. The Blacks trace their lineage to Slytherin, as do the Malfoys. The La Fey family actually has ties to all four. It is not something rare. Besides, they were people just like you and I. None of them, including Slytherin, would be happy being revered as semi-gods."

When the clock tolled six, Harry took his leave, wanting to be back with his mum and family to have dinner and open presents. James saw him to the floo.

"Hey Nat. Tell Lily I'll see her tomorrow morning and I miss her."

Harry smiled. "It's only been a week." James shrugged his shoulders. Harry promised he would and then stepped through the fire.

When Harry returned, his mum and grandmother put him to work with Jacob setting up the dining room. Petunia and Vernon hadn't arrived yet, much to the disappointment of Lily and Emily. Harry was also worried. He hoped they had not changed their minds.

But they all started worrying too soon. Petunia and Vernon came at seven, just before dinner would be served. Petunia seemed in high spirits though Harry though she was putting on for her parents. Vernon looked neutral which was more then Harry could reasonably expect.

Dinner was…interesting to say the least, to Harry anyway. When Emily and Jacob asked how things were going at number four, Petunia and Vernon happily described everything they were doing to get the house ready. When they talked about the upcoming wedding, they looked like a young couple in love. Had Harry not seen the pictures his grandmother sent him, he would not have thought these were the same Petunia and Vernon he would live with for sixteen miserable years.

However, when the conversation swung around to visiting the Potters tomorrow, Vernon said nothing, eating in cold silence. Petunia participated in the conversation but not much. Harry got the impression she disapproved of James as a person though, not because he was a wizard. Well, most of her disapproval was because of his personality.

Seeing their discomfort, Harry made a point to move the conversation away from James and the Potters. He did not want to risk Vernon stamping out of the house in disgust. Jacob realized what he was doing fairly quickly and gave him a hand steering the conversation towards less combustible topics.

Harry helped Petunia, Lily, and Emily clean up the kitchen. Or he tried anyway. "You know what Nathan, why don't you help the boys get ready to open presents," suggested Lily after Harry ran into her for the fourth time, spilling soapy water down her blouse.

Harry recognized dismissal when he heard it and went out to sit in the den with the others. Vernon was sitting in a chair looking at the fire. He grunted when Harry sat down next to him. Harry hoped he would start to say something but he stared silently out the window. Jacob was smoking his pipe, watching Harry and his future son-in-law surreptitiously. At one point he raised his eyebrow, a silent _what do expect_.

Before he could push Vernon, the ladies emerged from the kitchens. Harry smiled a little when Lily and Petunia did a little dance and laughed with one another as they tried to take their seats. Vernon watched without expression.

There were not many presents to open but everyone seemed to enjoy him or herself, including Vernon. He frowned at the gift Harry gave his grandmother though. Harry didn't care because Emily went nuts, choking Harry to death as she hugged and kissed him. Jacob tipped him a wink, asking if he could use it to.

"I'm not sure to be honest. Why don't you try it out now?"

Emily needed no further encouragement, slipping on the ring. "Lily, go downstairs so you can't hear me. Close the door so I'll know you're down there." When they heard the door close Emily spoke into the ring.

"I love you too mum," Lily's voice came from the ring. Emily squealed again and hugged Harry.

"Give me the ring dear. Let me see if it works on my finger." Emily didn't want to give it up but did. "Can you hear me sweetheart," he said loudly into the ring.

"Dear God Dad! I'm not deaf," answered an agitated Lily.

When Lily came back, she gave Harry another hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Nathan. This is the best gift you could've given me."

"Me too," said Emily.

"Well good. Have we opened everything?" Everyone looked around to see if there were other gifts. When no one pulled anything out Harry got to his feet and went back into the kitchen. When he returned he was holding two thick wrapped packages. Emily carefully tried to keep her face straight.

"I have one more gift for Lily and Petunia. I hope you'll both forgive me but I noticed how you guys did not get along over the summer. I don't have a bother or sister but I have six younger cousins I am very close to. I can't imagine not talking to them or wanting to be with them. With the help of your mum, I put something together to show you how insignificant whatever problem is between you two."

They both looked at Harry with shocked expression, and a little worried. Vernon was eyeing him and the gift with suspicion. Harry just sat back down and waited for them to unwrap their gifts.

They worked slow, trying to see what was there. Both held velvet books. Lily's was red with _My Sister Petunia_ stitched on the cover in gold. Petunia's was deep violet with _My Sister Lily _stitched on the cover. Hands shaking, they opened the book. In both Harry had the same collection of pictures, showing the girls when they were just babies up to when Lily was eleven and Petunia was thirteen. They were playing together in the park, playing dress up in Emily's close, giving one another makeovers, and a number of other things. In every picture they were together though, and clearly loving every moment together.

Lily started crying first, her hands stroking a few pictures. Finally, she jumped to her feet and threw herself on Harry, crying hard. Jacob pulled the book up on his lap and flipped through the pictures, a smile forming on his face. Emily was crying too but not as hard. She rubbed Lily's back as she hugged Harry.

Petunia was looked even more shocked. She seemed transfixed on every picture, tears sliding down her cheeks too. About after Lily threw herself on Harry, she set the book down and looked at Harry as if she never saw him before.

"Th…thank you," she said, choking up a little. Harry smiled over the top of Lily's head.

"Sweetheart," said Emily softly. "Why don't you let Nathan breathe."

Lily pulled up reluctantly. "Thank you," she said, her red-streaked eyes staring into his. Harry cocked his head with a smile and rubbed a tear off her cheek.

"You're welcome. Both of you."

_Thank you all for reading and please leave me a review if you have the time. I truly love hearing from all of you, good or bad._


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

_**Special Note 2: I changed the names of James's parents. I found an interesting theory in either the lexicon or the wiki that said his parents were Charles Potter and Dorea Black. I won't explain everything here but I liked it thought there was better backstory then I could've written.**_

_**Special Note 3: On Christmas night 1977 there really was a full moon. I decided to include that in my story for reasons you will soon see.**_

Chapter 22

After his mum and aunt opened their gifts, Petunia left abruptly after thanking Harry. Vernon followed without a word. Harry was tempted to press his future uncle to see when he could talk to him privately but his grandfather held him back.

"Let them go. You did enough tonight. If he still wants to talk to you, he'll let you know." Harry reluctantly nodded. Jacob was right; the ball was in Vernon's court and what happened next was up to him.

Lily and Emily were a little hurt by Petunia's abrupt departure but they quickly went back to praising Harry's gift. Harry's heart soared seeing how happy his mum was. He spent an entire Saturday going through all the photos Emily sent him, picking the ones he thought were the best. Given how bitter and mean spirited the Petunia he knew was, he was surprised to see how close she and Lily were when they were kids. Petunia was there for every milestone in Lily's life for the first decade of her life. He imagined how she felt seeing her sister grow up.

When at last he and the others went to bed, Harry hoped he had done some good. Petunia and Vernon leaving so abruptly was unexpected. He hoped it was not a bad omen.

* * *

"Wake up Nathan!"

Harry mumbled and groaned. "It's early damn it," he muttered into his pillow. He was about to fall back asleep when some thoughtless person ripped the blinds over the couch wide open. "Ah, come on now!"

"Get up Nathan," said his grandfather. "We're leaving in forty minutes."

"It'll take me ten to get ready. That means I've got thirty to sleep some more," he said pulling the blankets up over his head.

"If it were up to me you could sleep. But let me just say if I go upstairs without good news, it won't be me coming down next time."

Harry groaned, this time with passion. "Fine. You can tell Lily that I'm up."

Jacob chuckled and handed him his glasses after he sat up. "Good decision. Em has breakfast going. A spot of food should resign you to being up."

Harry said something incoherent, a yawn interrupting cutting him off. After Jacob went upstairs, Harry went into the bathroom for a shower and shave. The cold water helped him cut through the haze of exhaustion. After his shower, he changed into a pair of khakis and a black polo his grandparents bought him for Christmas.

Lily gave him a look when he entered the kitchen. He must have passed her test because she didn't say anything as he filled a plate. Every time he looked up, Lily's eyes were jumping up to the clock. "You know Lily, watching the clock won't make it go faster." He regretted saying anything because the look she gave him was full of fire. Across from Nathan, Jacob chuckled. Harry swore under his breath. His grandfather knew when to keep his mouth shut. Harry needed to learn to do the same.

At five to eight, Harry helped his grandmother do the dishes. Without Petunia there, he could use magic, something that Emily appreciated greatly.

_Gong-Gong-Gong-Gong-Gong-Gong-Gong-Gong!_

"Let's go guys," called Lily, down the stairs before the clock finished chiming the hour. She stood impatiently by the fire, swinging the bag of floo powder. "Go through first Dad." Jacob Evans patted Lily's cheek as grabbed a pinch of powder.

"Potter Manor!" He was gone. Emily went next followed by Harry, who wisely passed his mum without comment. When he reached the appropriate grate, he fell on his face coming out of the fire. Ears burning as everyone laughed, Harry tried to get to his feet before Lily came through.

He was too late. His mum came through. Of course she landed on her feet gracefully. Unfortunately her feet landed on his back and not the floor. This ushered in a new round of laughter.

"Dear God Nathan. One of these days you need to learn how to stick the dismount," Lily said helping Harry to his feet.

"I'll remember that," Harry said, brushing soot off his clothes. "So sorry to inconvenience you."

Harry wasn't talking to Lily anymore. Once he was on his feet, she rushed past him into the waiting arms of James. His grandparents were a few feet away, watching him with a smile.

"You know Nathan, I don't remember you having these kind of problems yesterday when you delivered the presents."

"That was because you guys never saw Nathan as he arrived. I was there to help him first," said James, walking over to them, hand in hand with Lily.

"Ah, that must be it," Charles said with a laugh.

"Now leave him alone dear. We're glad you all could come," Dorea said addressing Harry, Lily, and her parents.

"That's right. You'll have to excuse the others of course. They're still asleep."

"Ahh, I wanted to see Nymphadora," said Lily.

"You will. She's been looking forward to seeing you as a matter of fact. I don't think it is good for her to spend so much time with Sirius alone as a matter of fact."

"Hear now Prongs. I resent that," called Sirius from across the room. "I'm a wonderful influence on my little cousin. Just ask her if you don't believe me."

Lily hugged Sirius when he walked over. "I'm sure you doing a fine job with Nymphadora." Sirius gave James an I-told-you-so look. "Where's Remus?"

"He's downstairs in the basement right now. He opened his gifts last night and we opened all the ones he gave us because of the full moon tonight. The house elves are caring for him and Chuck is going downstairs every hour to make sure he is okay."

"Oh, I forgot tonight is a full moon." Lily frowned. "That is so sad he can't be with us on Christmas night."

Charles nodded. "It is sweetheart but there is nothing we can do except make sure he is comfortable. That's why we wanted him to come as early as possible so he could spend time with James and Sirius before Christmas. Tomorrow he'll be better."

Before anyone could comment further, what sounded like a rhino stampeding down the stairs broke the silence. Sirius smiled. "Here comes Tonks," he said, winking at Lily. "See the hurricane you wrought."

Lily gave him a quick look just before little Tonks threw open the doors. "MERRY CHRISTMAS," she yelled, her voice ringing through the entire room. Then she saw Lily and the others standing around. "Lily," she squealed, running full force at the redhead.

Lily picked her up and swung her around. "Hi sweetie. Merry Christmas." She gave her a kiss on the cheek then a baffled look. "My word, you're getting so big. What are your parents feeding you?"

"Feeding her," called a gruff voice from the doorway. Ted Tonks gave Lily a confused look. "See Andy. I told you we were forgetting something," he called over his shoulder.

"Hush Ted," said a soft voice, stepping around Mr. Tonks. Harry's eyes widened when he saw the woman standing in the doorway. She looked frighteningly similar to Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry was surprised by his control. His first instinct was to pull out his wand and curse the woman.

But that passed. As she and her husband came closer, he could see the differences. Andromeda had lighter skin and straight black hair, to say nothing of bright, friendly eyes and a warm smile. She shook his hand with enthusiasm too. "So, you're the hero the _Prophet_ has been talking about for the past couple weeks." Her husband and daughter looked at him.

"I'm not a hero. Luck I didn't get myself killed in fact."

"If you say so. But Moody is still wrangling for you to get an Order of Merlin second-class. He isn't the type of person to spend time on something unless he felt it was worthwhile. Whatever you did, it impressed him."

Harry felt uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. Thankfully, Tonks saved him. "Come on Lily, let's go play upstairs."

"All right sweetheart. James, Sirius, Nathan, do any of you want to come." James and Sirius shook their heads.

"We'll go flying for a bit before lunch," said James.

"Yeah. Besides, I've been babysitting Tonks long enough."

Lily and all three older women yelled at Sirius for being so callous. Harry and James edged away, not wanting to be apart of his punishment. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the fireplace shovel fly up behind Sirius and hit him right in the small of his back. Sirius went to his knees with an anguished cry and a few choice curses.

"Serves you right you stupid git," said Lily heatedly. "Who did that anyway?" Everyone shrugged. Harry looked at Tonks, just out of curiosity. Her hair was bright red, even brighter then Lily's. She was also looking at Sirius with a look of satisfaction on her little face. Harry stuck his fist in his mouth before he could laugh. No one noticed.

Harry figured he'd stay with James and Sirius even though he wanted to spend some time with his mum and Tonks. He figured he'd let Lily have her time with Tonks first though since she had been looking forward to it for so long. But before he could go, a little hand grabbed his. "Do _you _want to play with us," asked Tonks knowingly.

"Dora, I think Nathan wants to spend time with the boys first. Don't you?"

Harry smiled. "No, actually she's right. I was hoping to spend some time with you guys. You're very perceptive Tonks."

She looked blank. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're smart."

She smiled, looking proud. "I am!"

When they went upstairs, Harry continued to be amazed by the size and scope of the Potter manor. There seemed to be more rooms then anyone could possibly need. But they were all richly furnished, either as offices, spare bedrooms, or mini libraries. As they neared the room Tonks was staying in, some of the outlining rooms turned out to be filled with toys and games, muggle and magical alike.

"All right Dora, what do you want to play?"

For the next hour and a half, they played different things. Harry noticed with some amusement that whenever Lily tried to steer her towards something like house, even if it was to just settle her down, Tonks shot down the ideas. The little girl had boundless energy, which clearly drained Lily. In fact it was tiring on Harry but he used some spell to keep him going.

At one point, they saw James and Sirius flying around outside. Tonks gave Sirius an evil look as he flew by. Harry got an idea for something fun. Leaving Lily and Tonks alone for a few minutes, Harry went down the hall until he came to a toy room they passed earlier. Harry rummaged through, looking for a toy gun he saw earlier. He found two lying together among some discarded toy soldiers and figures.

After some careful modification using spells and charms he learned from James and the books in the Room, Harry tested the guns on a figure. Satisfied with his work, Harry went back to his mum and Tonks.

"Where have you been? And what have you got behind your back?" Hearing Lily's questions, Tonks looked his way with a curious look. Harry smiled and pulled out the two toy guns.

"I saw how Dora was looking at her dear cousin. I thought she might want to have some more fun with him." He looked down at Tonks. "Do you?"

She nodded excitedly but Lily held her hand back when she reached out. "Nathan I don't think Dora should be trying to hurt Sirius anymore. Besides, are those things safe?"

"Of course their safe Lily. And come on, Sirius practically called Dora a baby. Are you a baby Dora?"

"No!"

"I didn't think so. And do you want to have some more fun with you cousin?" She nodded again. "Well all right then. Let's do this. That is of course if Lily will let us." He looked at Lily. Dora turned on her too, little hands on her hips.

'You better let us Lily," she said with authority. Lily looked at her and then at Harry. She reluctantly nodded. "He's not going to be hurt is he?"

"Of course not. Well, not too much," he said with a wink at Tonks. The little girl giggled and pulled on of the guns out of Harry's hand.

"Okay Dora, stand here next to me," said Harry getting on his knees and conjuring an image of Dora. "When Sirius flies by the window, you jump out and pull the trigger.'

"What'll happen," she asked, staring at the gun and at the image of her.

"You'll see," Harry said ominously. Behind them Lily groaned. "Okay here we go. Hey Sirius, can you fly by here for a minute," he called opening the window.

Sirius stopped, looking suspicious. "Why?"

"Dora wants to apologize for hitting you with the shovel."

Sirius flew hesitantly towards Harry. When he was within ten feet, Harry yelled out _now_. Before Sirius could turn Tonks jumped out and shot him with the gun. His clothes changed into a short, bright pink skirt with a matching top that hugged his body and his newly buxom figure. To cap the spell, his hair turned blond and braided and his face was decked out in the gaudiest make-up imaginable.

James was laughing so uncontrollably, he needed to fly down to the ground to save from falling. Tonks was pointing and laughing, at one point grabbing Harry to keep herself from falling. Even Lily was laughing.

Sirius looked murderous. "I'll get you for this Evans," he said in a screechy falsetto. He blushed even harder while the others laughed even harder.

"You look pretty Sirius. I wish mommy could see."

"She can," called Andromeda from the courtyard below. All the adults were laughing and smiling at Sirius's misfortune, especially Jacob, Charles, and Mr. Tonks. When Sirius reached for his wand, Harry told Tonks to shoot again. His wand turned into a rubber chicken when he tried to cancel the spell.

At this point, even though they were still laughing, Andromeda and Dorea told them to let Sirius go, that he learned his lesson. By some miracle, Tonks relented. "Okay Sirius, Dora is going to shoot you one more time. I promise everything she did will be undone. Just don't move."

"You'd better not be lying Evans," he screeched, causing a new round of laughter from the adults, who missed his threat before. But true to his word, when Tonks used the gun again, she turned Sirius and his wand back to normal.

Before anything else could happen, a stately looking house elf appeared in the courtyard. "Lunch is ready Master Potter and guests."

"Thank you Willie," said Charles, wiping his eyes.

* * *

After lunch, Andromeda used a potion to put Tonks down for a nap. Harry thought she was a little old but to be fair what did he know about being a parent. While she slept, Lily, James, and Sirius gave Harry a tour of the manor. Harry was not at all surprised to see that while Charles may not have gone into every room in the manor, James certainly had. He took Harry into rooms with potion ingredients and caldrons lined up in droves against the wall. Apparently Lily hadn't seen this room before because she wanted to stop and look around.

"I didn't know any of your relatives were potions masters," said Harry while they walked through the room.

"Only one was as a matter of fact. My great-great-great grandmother Varina earned the highest potions O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. in history when she was a student. After she married, she spent a few years as a healer then as the Potions professor in Hogwarts. She taught Professor Dumbledore in fact before she left the school after the 1892-93 school year."

"After she left Hogwarts, she found her true calling and joined the Ministry as an Unspeakable, working on potions. This was her home laboratory."

"What kinds of potions did she develop," asked Lily, looking through some of the books and rolls of parchment on a nearby desk.

James shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. The house elves told me this room was 'mistress Varina's' but they either couldn't or wouldn't tell me the potions she created. Considering how tight the code of secrecy is for unspeakables, they may not know. Lily do you want to stay and look while I show Nathan around."

"I do. I'll wait for you here," she said without looking up from the book she was flipping through. James smiled as they left.

He showed Harry a few more rooms even though Sirius looked bored beyond belief. Harry was a little exasperated by this. If Sirius was so blasted bored, why come with? Before he could comment on it though, James pushed open to large oak doors revealing the largest library Harry had ever seen. If Ron could see how excited Harry was right now, he'd think Harry had gone round the bend.

But Harry hardly cared. This was the most beautiful library he had ever seen, including Hogwarts. There were books that were older then anything Hogwarts held, written in languages long ago dead. Pulling one down at random, Harry asked James how to read these books.

"When dad or mom buy books or we are given any families, governments, or institutions, we put a charm on them that will let the reader translate them while they are reading it. Just put the tip of your wand on the cover and say 'I want to read' and it'll translate. I didn't believe it at first but it works. You could say that in any language and it would translate too."

Harry tried it on the book he had. "I want to read." To his dismay, the characters disappeared. James just smiled when he looked up. "Look again," he said. The book was completely rewritten in English. "Wicked."

Engrossed in his book, Harry didn't see Sirius whispering in James's ear. His dad nodded. "Bring the book if you'd like Nathan. I want to show you what's on the third floor in this room." Without waiting for Harry, he started up the spiral staircase in the cent of the room. Harry shrunk the book and put it in his pocket, falling into place behind Sirius.

When they reached the top of the staircase, they were standing in a magnificent dueling chamber, equipped with dummies, retractable walls, and even what looked like a muggle weight room on the far end. Everything was closed in a massive indoor track as well.

"How long is the track," he asked.

"One lap would be two miles. I don't know if you can see it, but by the weight training set is a rock-climbing wall. Dad bought it from a muggle in America a few years ago and modified it to run off magic instead of electricity. It's a blast but really works the arms and legs."

The trio stayed in the chamber for about a half hour while James and Sirius showed him how to use all the machines and how to do the different free weight exercises. "Sirius and I come up here once a week to do some work. While you're here, you could join us."

Harry nodded. "I'd like that. Maybe we can use that room in Hogwarts to make a replica of this too." The other teens nodded, liking the idea.

"All right, we should head down and see if Lily is okay. It's been about an hour and dinner will be ready soon."

Lily wasn't ready to leave when they came down. She was standing over a caldron, mixing ingredients while looking at three different reams of parchment on a moveable desk. "Lily, dinner is going to be ready in about thirty minutes. We should probably head back." She just grunted and kept working. The three boys exchanged looks. When Harry was about to approach, James held him back. "Word to the wise: unless she asks you for help or otherwise starts talking to you first, don't bother her while she is working." Harry took the warning and stood back with his friends.

After about five minutes, Lily looked up. "James could you hand me that diamond caldron." After James gave it her, she cleared another space and added a few ingredients Harry hadn't seen before to the caldron. Whatever they were, they were once alive because when she mashed them up their blood and innards covered the bottom of the caldron. When she was satisfied, she dumped the contents from her first caldron into the diamond one. The liquid started to swirl and change colors as she poured. He noticed she was counting slowly, tipping the caldron every couple seconds.

When everything was transferred, she waved her wand to clean the caldron. She put the parchment in a drawer in the desk with the diamond caldron and then conjured two balls of light and set them revolving around the caldron.

"Okay. What were you guys saying?"

The three boys exchanged amused looks. "We wanted to tell you dinner was going to be ready soon sweetie. What were you making there?"

"I'm not sure yet. Well, I'm sure what I made but I don't want to talk about it until I know it is safe." She smiled when James, Sirius, and Harry all looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Don't worry guys, everything is fine. The manor isn't going to blow up tonight or anything. I just got the idea from reading your grandmother's notes. But I'm famished. Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

Dinner was a splendid affair, but it was rushed as well. No one minded though. Little Dora's enthusiasm was contagious. When the last dish had been cleared away, Charles looked around the table, his eyes setting on Tonks for the longest. "If everyone's ready…let's open presents."

Dora's chair and high chair crashed to the floor as she pushed back and jumped down, running for the living room. Andromeda and Ted shook their heads apologizing to the Potters as the fixed the chair. Charles and Dorea just smiled.

"Don't worry about it, not for a minute. This one here was even worse when he was her age," Dorea said, looking at James with a mixture of affection and exasperation.

"Lily and her sister were little terrors themselves, always fighting with one another to see who'd open their gifts first."

Before the couple could defend themselves, Tonks ran back in. "Come on," she said. "It's time for presents!"

"Sweetheart, be patient. Sweet Merlin." Tonks didn't listen to her mother. She grabbed Lily and Harry's hands, the two people closest to her, and pulled them out of their chairs with her. Lily gave Harry a look. "See what we've gotten ourselves into."

"She's just excited. I think that's great."

Harry actually thought Tonks showed remarkable patience, waiting until all the adults arrived before throwing herself at her presents. Andromeda's pleas for her to go slow went unheard and unnoticed as a hurricane of paper flew through the air. Harry did his part to keep everything clean by vanishing the paper as she threw it.

Tonks really loved Lily's gift when she opened it, throwing herself at his mum. Apparently blue was her favorite color.

"I'm glad you like it sweetie. Why don't you try it on so everything can see how pretty you look?" Little Tonks needed no further encouragement. She did need her mother's help though. Andromeda followed her into a bathroom. When Tonks came back, she looked very pretty in her blue dress, like a princess. Lily clapped her hands, saying how great it looked. To top off the ensemble, Tonks turned her hair the same color as her dress, looking like a little ice princess. Lily's parents took pictures of her, much to the pleasure of Tonks who posed for them.

After Tonks opened all her gifts, everyone else opened theirs. Harry didn't buy anything for the Potters or Tonks. Thankfully, Lily and her parents said their gifts were from everyone, including him and Petunia. James and Sirius both liked the gifts he gave them even though Dorea and Andromeda rolled their eyes. "You boys don't need to cause more mischief."

Sirius donned a pained look. "What are you saying Aunt Andy. James and I are pillars of the community at Hogwarts. We would never cause _mischief_." All the female adults, now including Lily and Emily, rolled their eyes, causing Sirius to look even more pained.

While Tonks played, joined by Lily, James, Sirius, and Harry at different times, the adults talked. At ten, after one massive yawn from little Tonks, Dorea said it would be best for everyone to go to bed. A sign of how tired she was, Tonks didn't even complain. She did ask for Lily and Harry to come with though. Lily looked touched while Harry looked surprised. But he followed.

Harry and Lily waited outside while Andromeda put Tonks in her pajamas and tucked her in. "She's waiting for you two," she said as she left, giving them both a smile.

"Hey sweetie. Did you have a good Christmas," asked Lily sitting next to her.

Tonks nodded. "Thank you for my dress Lily."

Lily bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "You're welcome." She straightened out the covers. "Sleep tight," she said again before leaving.

"Merry Christmas Dora," Harry said as his mother left. He could see her shadow waiting for him in the hall.

"Merry Christmas Nat. Thank you for tricking Sirius." She smiled, her eyes showing some life in spite of her exhaustion.

Harry smiled. "You're welcome. Sleep tight sweetheart." He bent down and hugged her, not feeling familiar enough to kiss her. Tonks kissed him though and rubbed his cheek as he pulled back. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was rhythmic as he closed her door and turned out the light.

Harry and Lily stayed up with everyone else for a little bit longer, sitting in front of the fire. Harry was just beginning to think this was the best Christmas he had ever had when a massive explosion rocked the night, shattering the wards protecting Potter manor.

_Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review. I always look forward to hearing from all of you, good, bad, or indifferent._


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 23

After the last of his followers were through the gap and on the grounds of Potter manor, Lord Voldemort muttered a number of incantations, reversing the wards to prevent the Aurors from thwarting his invasion. To prevent anyone from escaping the manor until the Potters were dead, Voldemort set three Death Eaters to each hold an anti-apparation ward until his gave the signal.

"Lucius, I want you to take your squad and apparate into the basement. I have word that the werewolf is here and probably being quarantined in the basement. Release him when you find him. MacNair will go with you to control the beast."

Lucius bowed. "Of course milord." Malfoy gathered his squad including MacNair and apparated into the manor.

"Bella you will stay outside. If the Aurors arrive before we have killed the Potters, you must send someone to tell me and then hold them off as long as possible. I doubt you have more then ten minutes before they arrive. Place whatever traps you feel appropriate and kill as many as you can before you make your escape. Under no circumstances are any of you however to apparate into the manor. Kill as many as you can and get out. Do you understand?"

"Yes my lord. We will do as you command."

With all his Death Eaters divided, Voldemort took the remaining Death Eaters into the heart of the manor. A fire was burning and there were glasses of wine sitting here and there. But there were no people. They could not have disappeared.

"Where is everyone," muttered one of the Death Eaters. Voldemort didn't respond but he shared the same concern. Then he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps on the floor above. He sensed only two magical beings, one probably very young. Only a token effort had been made to mask their magical footprint as it were, but even that was more then Voldemort expected. He strengthened his shields.

"Amycus, take Dolohov and Alisia upstairs. There are people trying to escape."

"Yes master," hissed Amycus and then he and the others were gone.

Voldemort set the remaining minions to searching the floor. There were people here, protected by charms to mask their presences. That they could mask them even from the Dark Lord spoke of the power of the caster.

* * *

Thanks to Harry and Lily's spell work, the whole family was well hidden. Even Harry needed to strain to even try to detect their magical signatures. The charm would disappear once they used magic, but for now they could stalk the Death Eaters.

So while Harry followed Voldemort, protecting the others, his family was be rounding up the other Death Eaters. He hoped they were okay. Andromeda and Ted were with Tonks, serving as a distraction to the other Death Eaters. Some well-timed legilimency told Harry Voldemort did not detect Ted. The muggle-born wizard would give them a surprise.

"You have done well boy, I'll give you that," said Voldemort quite suddenly as he appeared to be probing into a corner of the bedroom they were in. "It won't save your friends at all." With that, Voldemort spun on his heel and disappeared.

Harry swore sulfurously, lifting the charm and apparating back to the others. Lily, James, Sirius, and his grandparents were all unharmed when he arrived. Even better, they had captured all the remaining Death Eaters. Amycus, Dolohov, and Alisia were also bound and gagged with the rest.

"Nat, where is Voldemort," asked Charles.

"He knew I was following him. He read my thoughts I think. He disappeared. I thought he was coming for all of you. Where are Andromeda, Ted, and Dora? Did they get away?"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when Dorea nodded. "Sirius and James were taking care of their Death Eaters when a Andy's patronus arrived. She said they took one of the secret paths beyond the grounds and apparated away. They're safe and Ted is going to alert the Ministry if they aren't already coming."

"Good. Then what we need to do is…" Harry fell silent. He felt an extraordinary amount of magic building up right beneath them, growing every second. Then, with his heightened senses, he felt the blast of heat on his feet. "_Pulsus absentis!_ _Gelidus glacies contego!_" Harry banished the others and had them under a shield of magical ice seconds before the fiendfyre erupted through the floor. He felt his skin burn a little, his shield not powerful enough to withhold the blast entirely. But he would live.

The rush of fire was quick, though Voldemort made it worse by having it swirl through the room, burning everything not protected by at least some ward to ash. So many fine things destroyed. Harry would make him pay.

Thoughts of revenge were quashed quickly when a long, mournful howl shot through the new hole in the floor. Harry cursed silently. "Merlin, they've gone and freed Remus." Harry didn't know anything he could do to fight a werewolf. They were powerfully magical creatures, impervious to many spells but so quick and agile that the few spells you could use on them they would dodge before you could ever hit them.

The others heard Remus too. "Nathan, you need to let Sirius and I out. We can slow him down without getting infected."

"Listen to James Nathan," said Lily when Harry hesitated. Reluctantly, Harry lifted the shield. His father and godfather promptly changed into the animagus forms. Harry knew his father was a stag but he never imagined he would be so large and so majestic. He also wasn't the first to see them change. Charles and Dorea looked at their son with unmitigated shock.

But after Remus jumped through the floor, Harry was glad he freed them. James rammed Remus, driving him through the wall into another room. When they followed, the Death Eaters seemed almost comically surprised there was no werewolf. Harry, Lily, Charles, and Dorea used those couple seconds to disarm and restrain five unopposed. After that, the attack fell apart. All but two of the Death Eaters disappeared. The last two held off Harry and the others, at least until Sirius was came flying into the room. He howled in pain as he hit the floor and changed back into normal, most likely without meaning too.

"Ah, there you are boy," drawled one of the Death Eaters. Before Harry could do anything to stop Lucius from taking Sirius, a giant serpent, half the size of a basilisk, shot through the floor, reared its head and tried to devour his grandparents. Harry cast _sectumsempra _at the head of the snake at the same time Lily was pointing her wand and muttering furiously. Harry's spell bounced harmlessly off its hide but Lily's spell was working. The snake stopped mid-dive, snapping and hissing as it pulled its head up. Lily never broke eye contact or wavered her wand. Did she know parseltongue? How could she?

At Lily's control, the snake turned around and shot out the door and onto the grounds. After it was gone, Lily collapsed onto her knees, panting heavily. "Oh dear God, I can't believe that worked," she said haltingly between breaths.

"Thank you my dear," said Charles while Dorea hugged Lily, careful not to embrace her too tightly. "And thank you Nathan. What's wrong?"

"Sirius is gone. Lucius Malfoy took him," Harry said bluntly. His grandparents gasped.

"We have to save him," called James, stepping out from the other room. He was bruised and scratched but otherwise unharmed.

"What happened to Remus," asked Dorea, not releasing Lily.

"He's fine," answered James a little impatiently. "I knocked him unconscious. We need to move him somewhere in case he wakes up but I think he'll be out until morning. What are we going to do about Sirius?"

"We'll tell the Aurors he was kidnapped. But there isn't much we can do. He's not our son so we couldn't put a trace on him." Charles went silent, a look of fury on his face. "That must have been how those bastards found us."

"What do you mean," asked Harry.

"His parents must have used their family trace to find him. That can penetrate any ward, even the Fidelius charm. They told You-Know-Who where he was and…there's someone coming." He had his wand at the ready, pointed at the door. He let it down seeing two Aurors approaching in their khaki robes.

"Mr. Potter, the grounds are safe. A few Death Eaters managed to escape but they are all gone," said the lead Auror. "Please come with me. My superior would like to speak to you."

Harry watched the second Auror. Her skin was very gray, almost like a corpse. Just like a corpse.

Harry banished his grandparents, Lily, and James away and put them under protection. Before Voldemort could send the Inferi, Harry shot a fireball at it, burning a hole through its chest. "Good try Tom. You've done quite well I must say. But it won't do you the least bit of good."

The Aurors eyes flashed red. "Very impressive boy. I won't ask how you know my birth name. I will enjoy torturing the information out of you. But you will not keep me from killing the Potters."

Harry smiled. "You're probably right. I can't stop you. But I know someone who can." He pointed his wand over his shoulder. Voldemort's eyes narrowed but he looked over his shoulder, into the eyes of Dumbledore, who was walking through the now finished battle towards Tom, flanked by four Aurors. Snarling hatefully, Voldemort turned to Harry. "This is not over boy. You will pay the price crossing Lord Voldemort."

After he was gone, Harry dropped his wand, panting hard. The illusion he conjured disappeared. The battle on the grounds was over anyway, the Aurors triumphant as Harry saw Bellatrix disappear, presumably the last Death Eater to leave. Harry bluffed Voldemort with a busted flush but it worked.

His work wasn't done though. He needed to save Sirius. Trying to calm his mind, he drew on the reserves of his magic to revitalize himself. This was dangerous if he didn't find Sirius soon, but it was worth the risk.

Ignoring the compliments of the others, he looked at the spot where Sirius fell. "_Preteritus agnosco_." The world changed; Harry watched Sirius change back into his normal self, felt his pain and exhaustion. Then he saw Lucius grab Sirius and disappear. He needed to repeat the spell on the spot where Lucius stood to find out where he took his godfather.

"Mr. Potter, I know where Sirius has been taken. I have to save him."

"You mean you're going alone," said Lily fearfully. "You'll do no such thing. What Voldemort's there."

"He's not. Lucius took him to his manor in Northern Ireland. There are other Death Eaters there but not many. I think he meant to just drop him off."

"I'm coming with you," said James.

"I will too," said Lily.

Harry shook his head. "I won't go alone but neither of you are coming. You're not ready." Lily looked daggers at him but Harry ignored her. "Charles, I'll give you the coordinates. Wait five minutes and then find Moody. Tell him to bring…I don't know, ten of fifteen Aurors. I want to be with Sirius before the Aurors arrive so they can't use him as a hostage."

Harry conjured a small piece of parchment. Another flick of his wand and the coordinates appeared. "Remember, five minutes. That should be enough time to find him." With that, Harry turned on his heel and disappeared. He reappeared right in the entrance hall Lucius was in not long ago. Harry cast his most powerful concealment spells and extrasensory charms.

He walked past a few rooms with Death Eaters talking or playing cards. He couldn't feel Sirius though. After three minutes he started to worry. He needed to find him fast before Moody showed up.

As he walked through the second floor, he felt Sirius' presence. It was very feint but he was sure it Sirius. Of course there was a room with five Death Eaters between him and Sirius. He felt another presences with him now too, magically weaker but forceful. The woman was yelling at Sirius. A ward protecting the room kept Harry from hearing anything specific but this woman was furious.

Concealing the concealment charms and transfiguring his robes into the khaki of an Auror, Harry walked purposefully into the outer room as if he had every right to be there. The Death Eaters all pointed the wands at him. "What are you doing here," one snarled.

Harry looked around the room. "I'm here to free the boy." He kicked back, knocking the wind out of the Death Eater. He then flipped over the table they were playing cards on and killed two more Death Eaters. One tried to cut him with a knife; Harry grabbed his arm and twisted it. Then he grabbed the knife and stabbed the Death Eater in his side.

"What is going on out here," bellowed the woman, canceling the wards and opening the door. "What the hell!" Harry killed her, recognizing her as Mrs. Black. The dump of a woman fell just as what sounded like every siren in the world went off at once. Moody and the others were here.

Sirius was bound and gagged, almost unconscious. His cheeks had bright red palm prints as well. His mother must have been slapping him while her was yelling at him. How could she act like this to her own son, even if she hated that he left her.

"Whazit," he mumbled after Harry revived him. "Where am I? Where's my blasted mother?"

"You're in one of Lucius Malfoy's mansions. You're mother is dead." Harry felt suddenly felt for killing the woman so quickly. Well, he was afraid Sirius would be upset. Even if she was evil and he ran away, she was still his mother.

He didn't take the news badly. He actually ignored the news. "How are we going to get out of here? Do you know apparation Nathan?"

Good, Harry thought. He knew who he was. "I do. Moody will clean up here. Grab my arm and I'll take you back to Potter manor."

When they reappeared in the manor, James grabbed his friend and carried him over to the healers. Lily hugged him. "Thank God you're safe," she said. When she pulled back, she slapped him on the back of the head.

"OW! What was that for?"

"For being a git." She stared at him, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't you ever—EVER—leave me behind again. If you're going to stick you're head in the lion's mouth, I will not be stopped. Do you understand me?"

Harry nodded, head still ringing." Yes Lily. I understand."

"Good. And thank you for saving Sirius. What happened there?"

"I avoided most of the Death Eaters until the room where Sirius was being kept. I knocked out two Death Eaters. Three tried to kill me. I…I killed them." Lily didn't say anything and Harry couldn't read her expression.

"What else happened?"

"Sirius' mum is dead."

"Did you do that too?" Harry nodded, not making eye contact with her. "Did you know who she was?"

Harry wanted to lie; now regretting his quick decision, such as it was, to kill her. "I did."

"Don't give him trouble Lily. He was on the ground and she would've killed him if he tried to save me. He did what he had to stay alive."

"I wasn't going to say anything. I understand he was caught up on the heat of the battle. The Death Eaters didn't give him much of a choice either." She didn't look pleased either but a quick read of her mind—which she allowed—told him it was because she was afraid he would lose himself and start taking his power for granted.

He hugged her. "That won't happen. I regretted what happened with Sirius' mum almost immediately after she fell." He didn't say a word about the other Death Eaters. They could burn in Hell for all he cared. They were murderers and deserved nothing less.

* * *

Across the Channel in his hideaway in France, Voldemort was seething. Malfoy's shrieks of pain did nothing to calm him. He wasn't mad at Malfoy, at least not for the failure at the Potters. That damn boy had fooled him, conjuring an incredible illusion in the doorway. And he had fallen for it. He was torturing Malfoy because he left early, taking the boy instead of staying to make sure the Potters were killed.

Lucius could not have known that damn mudblood would be able to control Voldemort when he was in his animagus form. The Dark Lord had been shocked when her magic took control of his mind as a serpent and manipulated him so he slithered outside and killed a number of his followers before he regained control of his mind. It was humiliating and something he needed to be on guard against when he transformed in the future.

But he still had to maintain appearances. "Did I not tell you to save the boy only _after_ the Potters were dead," hissed Voldemort dangerously. "Answer me Lucius!"

"Ye..yes milord. I'm sorry."

"Because of your incompetence, the Potters escaped the manor while the mudblood and her friends acted interference. Had you been there to they could not have focused totally on me. I will not tolerate such behavior in the future Lucius. Am I clear?"

"Yes master," he managed to choke out.

"Leave my sight." As Lucius stumbled to the door, Voldemort stopped him. "Despite your efforts, the boy was taken back from you property in Ireland. The cousin of the mudblood killed five Death Eaters and the boy's mother before taking him back. Had you killed the fool before saving Sirius, you could've saved his mother. Walburga's blood is on your hands now, as is the blood of your fellow Death Eaters. I say again, do not disobey me again."

After Lucius left, the Dark Lord stared angrily at the rising sun. He could not believe he was thwarted by school children. That mudblood was dangerous, more dangerous then he ever imagined. Beast control is a difficult spell to use in the best of circumstances; to use it on an animagus has never been done before. He would have to keep his eye on her in the future.

But it was the boy who scared him, truly scared him. He knew and could wield spells that no ordinary seventh year should have ever heard of. He stalked Voldemort effortlessly; only a careless thought and rush of emotion betrayed his location. He felt the fiendfyre coming and knew shields to protect the Potters. Were it not for Dumbledore, this child would be the greatest danger to Voldemort's dominion.

But what could he do? The boy was related to the mudblood; how he was related Voldemort did not know. Their magical signatures were similar. The boy also shared similarities with the Dark Lord himself. How this was possible Voldemort did not know unless he too was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

The Dark Lord accomplished very little that day after Christmas, his mind racing with ideas on how best to deal with the mudblood and the boy.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N 1: I do not own the characters or ideas of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes._

_A/N 2: The idea for another wand maker and the type of wand Harry will now use is modeled of Neednotknowtheirname's description in __**Harry Potter and the Pendant of Slytherin**__. I made a few changes to the materials and used one of the names I considered for Harry's love in my HP/SW crossover for the shopkeeper but the idea itself, at least that I found, is Neednotknowtheirname's. This is truly a marvelous story and if you tire of reading my nonsense, I strongly recommend this story. The ID # is 4324404. _

_I apologize for the long delay. I'm student teaching now and that naturally requires my attention above all else. I will try to be better about posting because I love writing these stories. I hope you all keep reading any enjoy the story._

Chapter 24

Moody and his team of Aurors returned to Potter manor about two hours after Harry returned with Sirius. "Did you catch the Death Eaters Alastor," asked Charles.

Moody shook his head. "As soon as the siren went off the ones on the first floor disappeared. The ones on the floors above must have conjured fiendfyre because within seconds the house was a burning wildly. Nothing is left now of the mansion but at least we didn't lose any Aurors." Then Moody spotted Sirius. "And I see Nathan saved Sirius. I have to tell you boy, that was incredibly brave and more then a little crazy. When Charles told me you went to the mansion alone, I was tempted to follow you immediately."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't. Besides, I just hid myself as best as I could. They didn't have anyone really protecting Sirius anyway," he lied. "Just one Death Eater and Sirius' mother."

"Walburga was there," asked Moody with some surprise. "I didn't think that dump of a woman every left her house. Well, unless you sent them away yourself, I suspect they're dead now. No great loss as far as I'm concerned."

"Alastor," snapped Dorea. "That was Sirius' mother."

"Don't worry about it Mrs. Potter. Like I said before, I don't miss her. Should be interesting to see what happens now. I'm the oldest son. Unless mother disowned me, I'm now heir of the Black family fortune." He smiled, licking his lips like a dog. "Won't dear Regulus love that?"

"How is everything here," asked Moody, changing the subject. "Did Andi and Ted get away okay?"

Dorea nodded. "They're fine. They used one of the passages under the manor to get past the wards so they could apparate. Dora is a little shaken up but otherwise okay." Harry and Lily both breathed identical sighs of relief. Harry hadn't thought of Dora during the battle. He was relieved to hear she was okay.

Then Harry thought of something else. "What is going to happen to Lucius? We know he was here and it was his manor that was just destroyed."

Moody kicked at the ground, swearing under his breath. "Actually Nathan, we have testimony from ten people that Lucius Malfoy has been at his London villa for the past three days. During the battle he was sitting down to a late brandy and cigar with some friends and business associates."

Harry, James, Lily, and Sirius all looked at Moody, waiting for him to yell out "Gotcha!" But he was serious. "That rat bastard walks in here, almost kills all of us, kidnaps Sirius, brings him to _his own manor_, and you're telling me that means nothing," said Harry softly, disbelief in his voice.

Moody looked even sourer but he nodded. "After you gave me the coordinates, I sent three Aurors to his villa to see if he was there and get his statement. Bloody bastard squalled like a branded calf when we took him to the Ministry and everyone in the room swore on a stack of bibles he was innocent, that he had been there the whole night. We took him and all his guests to the Ministry. Short of giving them Veritaserum, which is illegal to use on a person unless they are convicted of a crime, we cannot prove they are lying." Seeing Harry's rage building, he held up a hand. "And before you say anything, not all of the people with him were Death Eaters."

"So what you're saying is Lucius knows how to cover his tracks and the fools and imbeciles in the Ministry are too damn daft to conduct a proper investigation." Moody didn't say anything, which was an answer all by itself, and not the answer Harry wanted to hear. "What about the fact you caught Death Eaters in his own manor? What about testing their wands to see every spell they cast during the battle?"

Lily came over and put her hand on his, looking at Moody with eyes like steel. "They didn't catch anyone. The fiendfyre destroyed everything before they could get any evidence. Lucius is probably claiming he had no knowledge his manor had been invaded and was being used by such nefarious criminals."

"Right in one little lady. Lucius was a smart one. There were very few wards protecting the manor, most of them very weak. Otherwise Nathan could not have punched through. Fifteen Aurors must have tripped an alarm. Such a remote manor, it must have slipped Lucius' mind and he didn't think to protect it."

"As for the wands, we checked his wand. There were no dark spells, not even one."

"How is that even possible?"

"In Knockturn Alley there is another wand maker, one few people know about but who is just as good if not better then Ollivander. Her name is Maia Lucina. She makes wands for general use, like Ollivander. She also makes wands for very specific purposes and then lose their power."

"But how the bloody hell would that matter?" Then Harry realized what Moody was saying. This woman could make wands that were powerful for one duel or one battle and then could be disposed of. They wouldn't be registered to the witch or wizard so even if you traced the spells you couldn't prove who cast them.

Harry felt sick. He stomped upstairs, wanting some quiet time to think. After slamming the door to his room, he paced in front of the bed, muttering curses under his breath. How could they act this way? How could the Ministry deliberately ignore the facts?

As he was cursing and pacing, his head suddenly started pounding like a drum. He collapsed to his knees just as he heard Lily, as if from miles away, call his name.

Harry groaned, rubbing his temples. His head didn't hurt anymore but he felt off-balance. He saw the silhouette of Lily moving about the room. "What happened Lily," he asked, trying to sit up. Her soft hands helped him up.

"I was coming up to check on you just as you collapsed. I don't know what happened but you've been out for a couple of minutes. I warded the room for privacy." She laid a damp rag on his head, which felt good.

"Thank you."

"What happened to you? I know you're upset but…" Harry cut her off, shaking his head.

"It wasn't anything like that. I don't know what happened. I was thinking about the Ministry and how bloody daft they are and will always be. Then my head started pounding. Next thing I know I was lying here with you watching me." Harry lay back, trying to clear his mind. What could've made him collapse? It couldn't have been Lucius or Voldemort. But if not them, what else could've affected him like that.

Then the light bulb went off. "Of course!"

Lily looked at him. "What is it Harry? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I mean I think I know what happened. I don't know why it made me collapse. Maybe it's because I'm alive and Dumbledore is a portrait."

Lily looked confused. "Harry, you're not making sense."

"Mum, sometime before I'm born, Charles and Dorea pass away. I never knew what happened. Dumbledore never told me and I never thought to ask. What if tonight was the night they were supposed to die and I prevented that from happening. That has to have an impact on the future." Harry fell silent, trying to rack his brain for new memories just like the ones Dumbledore and his friends said they had.

After a few minutes he couldn't think of anything. It was discouraging because he was so sure he was right. Or maybe he just hoped. After all, if Charles and Dorea were alive when he was baby, Dumbledore couldn't have left him with the Dursley's.

_Are you sure about that _asked a small voice in the back of his mind. Dumbledore left him with the Dursley's were the only blood relatives he had on his mother's side. Besides, Voldemort invaded the mansion tonight and one of the reasons Dumbledore put Harry with the Dursley's was that the blood ward was something Voldemort would not be able to break.

Maybe because he was thinking of the Dursley's, Harry felt a strange sensation as new memories started competing with old. One minute he was remembering the Dursley's starving and yelling at him after he did accidental magic. The next he was seeing a majestic barn owl fly in the kitchen window and drop a letter on Vernon's head. Harry was the same age in both memories but in one he was short, skinny, and wearing Dudley's hand-me-downs and in the other he was taller, broader through the shoulders and waist, and wearing clothes that fit perfectly and were all his own. Vernon was still angry and rude but Petunia and Dudley were considerably more pleasant, by their standards anyway.

Harry couldn't believe what was happening. Dumbledore was absolutely right; having new memories juxtaposed next to the old was unusual. But if these new memories were of the future, Harry didn't care. He couldn't imagine a life with the Dursleys that wasn't slaving over pots and pans or being chased by Aunt Marge's demon bulldogs.

"Harry, are you okay," asked Lily, sitting next to him, concern evident in her eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm just trying to…I just trying to get over the fact that my grandparents are going to live to see me grow up now. I only ever saw them in the Mirror of Erised. Now I'll grow up with them in my life."

For the rest of Christmas break, Harry was in considerably higher spirits. Potter manor was quickly repaired; the Minister detached a number of engineers to help repair the manor itself and four Unspeakables worked with the Potters to put new, more powerful wards in place. By the time the spring term was ready to begin, the manor was completely restored.

The day before the train was due back, Harry suddenly got an idea. As the family was at breakfast, he told the Potters he wanted to go to Diagon Alley to replenish his potion stores and check out books at Flourish and Blotts. They had no objections. To cover his tracks he asked James, Sirius, and Lily. Thankfully the two boys said they were going to hang around the manor. Lily looked ready to accompany him but Harry shook his head a fraction of an inch to each side. She took the hint and said she'd stay. She didn't look happy but Harry could talk to her tonight.

At ten Harry used floo powder—now the only way to enter or leave Potter manor—to go to the Leaky Caldron. Tom greeted him warmly but he was busy so Harry could escape easily. Once in the Alley, he did indeed buy some potion supplies and one book from Flourish and Blotts on advanced Transfiguration.

But that wasn't why he came here today. Shrinking his purchases, Harry walked down Knockturn Alley, his wand clasped in his hand under his robes. He passed several disturbing people and shops but no one bothered him. He deliberately kept his hood up to give himself a darker image.

Finally three or four shops from the end of the Alley was the shop he was looking for: _Lucina's Unique and Specialized Wands_. The shop was only 8 years old. Harry wondered how good this woman really was. As he stepped into the shop, he felt raw power in the air, a sensation he didn't remember feeling in Ollivander's. There were no other customers, which surprised Harry. Of course, did he really expect ten Death Eaters to be waiting for wands?

"Can I help you," whispered a soft, silky voice to his left. Expecting something like this—really were all wand makers this cryptic—Harry didn't jump.

"Yes ma'am. I'm looking for a new wand."

Maia had piercing brown eyes and she looked him up and down. "You say this even though you have a wand in your hand already."

Harry lifted his sleeve, revealing his wand. "This isn't my wand actually. This wand belongs to uncle, or used to I should say. I need a wand for myself and people I spoke to told me to see you."

"To see me did they. Why not the gentleman in Diagon Alley."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Does it matter? If you'd rather I take my business there I will. I would not expect that from a businesswoman though."

Maia's smile was all sharp teeth. "Do not toy with me boy. I'll sell to you but I know your face from the newspapers and from that battle not too long ago. You're doubly dangerous to me because you stand against the man I principally sell wands to and because you have ties to the government that can shut me down they found out whom my principal customer is. I do not want to see you again after today. Do you understand me?" Harry only nodded. "Very good. Now, is this wand for general use or do you have a particular purpose for the wand?"

"General use."

Maia nodded. "Very well. I need a sample of your blood. Please hold out your hand." Harry hesitated for the first time, earning an impatient sigh from the woman. "I cannot sell you a wand without a sample of your blood. That fool in Diagon Alley may believe the wand chooses the wizard but I'm a realist; for a truly powerful wand the wood and core must be specially tailored to the witch or wizard. Now, hold out you hand," she demanded. Harry did as she said, immediately healing the cut after she had her sample. "Take a seat. This may take a while."

A while turned into nearly an hour. Harry was starting to get impatient when Maia stepped out from her workroom holding a jet-black wand with gold inlay, a stripe of runes running up one side and runes circling the joining between the handle and staff. It was unlike anything Harry had every seen before. "What kind of wand is this?"

"It is fourteen inches. I needed to use three different types of wood, a very rare combination I've never used before. The handle is elder and ash, the staff a fusion of elder and bark from a blood tree on the outside, and the inside of the staff is entirely from a blood tree. For a core I used one feather from the breast of a phoenix, one stand of dragon heartstring, and two stands of Thestral hair. I also soaked the materials in basilisk venom which is why the inside of the core is entirely wood from a blood tree."

Harry took the wand and immediately felt waves of power flow through his arm, into his chest, and through his entire body. It was a surreal experience, unlike the feeling of his holly and phoenix wand. He holstered his new wand and held his old wand; it felt warm, comforting, and familiar but there was no rush of power. He switched back to his new wand, reveling in the power he felt. "How did you make this wand? I've never heard of using two types of wood, let alone three."

"As I said, I am not like Ollivander and wand makers like him. They hold to old ideas and traditions. They believe the superstitious nonsense of wandlore. Wands _are _semi-sentient creations but they are still tools. Using your blood, I can make a wand meant _only _for you. If another witch or wizard tried to use this wand, it would not work, not at all. Now, that doesn't explain why I used three types of wood. You have an affinity for ash; it is comfortable for you. Elder wood is a powerful material, erratic in the wrong hands but in the right hands it focuses and centers their power of the caster. This is the case with you. I use elder wood in maybe 15%-20% of the wands I make because it is so volatile. As for the wood from a blood tree, this is the second wand I've made with that material and the first since I came to England. It is a powerful conductor but it is also a very stable wood, absorbing unwanted influxes of magic that can render a spell ineffective. It also is impossible to burn, which is why I used it to construct the core of your wand."

"And why did you use four things in the core?"

"The same reason I used different wood. You're a kind yet determined spirit, hard to squash and even harder to kill. A phoenix feather is only natural. In fact, the phoenix I took this feather from is one of the oldest in England. I paid a pretty galleon for her but it was worth it. The dragon heartstring is there because you have incredible strength and are, begging your pardon, immensely powerful. You need a core that focuses that power, especially as you learn more advanced spells. You'll notice that your spells are more concentrated, more powerful now. Lastly, the two Thestral hairs provide balance and stability."

Harry fingered the wand, hungry to try out the wand. "What about soaking the feathers and hair in basilisk venom? And what about the runes?"

"The runes are self-explanatory. The prevent anyone else from using your wand. They also enhance the power of the wand, feeding off the power in your magical core. That is secondary though; the principle purpose is to prevent anyone else from using this wand. Basilisk venom is, or can be, useful in binding material and serving as a unifying agent. It is very corrosive but with the right materials, it unifies them by absorbing the magic that repels them, letting what attracts them work uninhibited."

She looked at her watch. "Now, as much as I love to explain my work to you, I have other wands to build. Your total comes to fifty-four galleons, 14 sickles, and 19 knuts."

Harry stared at her. "Are you kidding me? Fifty-five galleons!"

"Do you have any idea how rare a blood tree is my very ignorant friend? Never mind the fact that it is nearly impossible to strip wood from a blood tree if you find one. Basilisk venom is even more rare. Ollivander may sell his trash for a few galleons but if you want the best you'd better be prepared to pay. Now, are you going to pay or not."

With the greatest reluctance, Harry took out the last of his money he got for Christmas. He had just barely enough; he walked out of the shop with one galleon, five sickles, and 2 knuts. Still, as he walked back to Diagon Alley, he reveled in the power still coursing through his body as he held his new wand. He didn't know what Lily would say but one thing was for certain—he could not _wait _to get back to Hogwarts and try this baby out.

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please keep reviewing. I love to hear from you._


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 25

Harry and Lily were sitting in the living room in the Evans' home. His grandparents had gone to bed about an hour ago, giving Harry a chance to show Lily his new wand. Her first reaction had been shock, not just because he had gone to the shop Moody had talked about, a shop that sold to Lord Voldemort and his followers, but also because she too had never seen a wand with runes.

"Can you translate the runes," Harry asked after she had been inspecting the wand for five minutes. She didn't answer. She kept running her hands over the wand and flipping through six and a half notes of ancient runes. At times she would stop, mutter under her breath, and throw a few pages of notes to the side. Harry decided to let her work, though it was hard not to bother her again.

Finally, after nearly half an hour she set his wand on a piece of parchment. Flicking her wand over the wand, it rolled over the parchment, all the runes becoming imprinted on the page. "There," she exclaimed in triumph.

Harry jerked his head between the parchment and his mum. "There? What's there?"

"I think I know what the runes on your wand mean. This woman uses a very old Celtic alphabet; one I only started learning in last year. But all the runes are there and, more importantly, I've figured out her pattern sets." She returned his wand and pulled the sheet of parchment on her lap. "One of the most basic principles of runes is that alone they mean nothing. Patterns mean everything. The woman who made this wand is clearly an expert when it comes to runes."

"How can you tell," asked Harry, seeing nothing special.

"Easy. I haven't translated every pattern. I don't think I'd be able to actually. Professor Babbling may but we can't well ask her. But I can tell you there are over three-dozen pattern sets on this wand. I can translate half of them. None of them are dangerous and I don't think the ones I can't translate are either."

"What do the ones you can translate mean?"

Lily spent another half and hour showing him the patterns she could translate and what they meant. Harry understood maybe one word in three of the theory. But the translations were easy to follow. He already knew this wand could only work for him. Patterns were also set that ensured his wand could never be destroyed, that it could never be stolen so long as it was in his possession (Harry took this to mean he could never be disarmed in a duel), and that it could "remember" spells that he used frequently. Harry and Lily didn't know exactly what that meant but it sounded useful.

"I'm going to talk with Professor Babbling about the other patterns. The others may all be inconsequential but I still want to know what they mean." Harry could hardly disagree. And hoped she would be able to find out what they meant.

Finally, around midnight, Lily yawned massively. "I'm going to bed Harry," she said and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Don't stay up to late. The Hogwarts Express leaves at nine tomorrow, not eleven. We need to be there on time." Harry promised to go to bed soon. Lily nodded and went up to bed.

Harry stayed awake for another hour despite his promise. After what had happened on Christmas night, he was afraid Voldemort would try and attack Lily soon. He was an arrogant serpent and never forgot a slight; Lily using beast control to save the Potter's would definitely count as a slight.

So Harry walked outside and, using direction spells from his wand, made four marks around their property. When he was back in front of the house, Harry waved his wand in a short arc, muttering _Servo is domus ex malum, obscurum, ruina, quod nex _(protect this home from evil, darkness, destruction, and death). After a few minutes a blue haze emerged from his wand and surrounded the home, grounded by his four marks. After the orb disappeared, Harry repeated the movement again with a different chant-_preoccupo is domus ex res evestigatus _(prevent this home from being discovered). A red haze emerged from his wand this time.

Harry cast three more wards, the last of which ensured if something happened and there was an attack, his wand would become very warm. It wasn't enough to keep out any really determined foe but if an attack came it would slow them down and hopefully give Harry a chance to save his grandparents. The ring he gave his grandmother would also help because she could tell Lily if anything were happening as well.

After the wards were set, Harry went to bed. For what seemed like the first time since Christmas, he slept peacefully through the night.

* * *

At what seemed to Harry to be an ungodly hour, some insensitive soul dumped a bucket of freezing cold water all over his body. "What the bloody Hell," he yelled, shooting up like a bolt.

"About time you woke up," said Lily. Harry heard the laughter in her voice. "I've been trying to get you up for the past ten minutes. Well, periodically anyway. It's eight. You need to get dressed and packed."

Harry spluttered and fumed under his breath. "What was that Nathan," she asked dangerously.

"Nothing dear cousin. Give me a moment and I'll be all ready," he said sweetly.

"That's what I thought you said." With that she walked back into the kitchen. Harry stuck his tongue at her when her back was turned. Before he could pull it back, she whipped around and suddenly his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. The devilish woman, she just chuckled and went into the kitchen, leaving Harry to suffer.

He was shocked further when his _finite_ didn't work. When kind of hell had she delivered upon him now? Blubbering curses, he got up, showered, changed, and packed the few things he brought home at the start of holidays. Only after he finished packing did his tongue finally detach from the roof of his mouth.

"Nice trick," he snapped when Lily threw him his coat.

"Next time wake up on time. What time did you go to bed anyway?" Her eyes narrowed. "What were you doing last night?"

Harry looked to make sure his grandparents weren't listening and then leaned close to her. "I spent an hour putting wards around the house. It isn't anything much but I'm afraid after Christmas Voldemort will try to pay you back for embarrassing him. I want to prevent that if I can." _For as long as I can anyway_ He thought that last and would never say it to her, not even wild hippogriffs would get him to say that to her.

She didn't seem to catch that though. She smiled and hugged him, grateful for his thought. His grandparents emerged from the kitchen at that point, smiling at the sight of them hugging. "Well, best be off," Emily said. "Wouldn't want to be late."

Harry and Lily walked past the wards and, grabbing one of the adults, spun on their heels and disappeared. The platform was still crowded when they landed, though mostly with adults then with kids. Lily and Harry said their good-byes and boarded the train. Lily and James left their compartment soon after they arrived, making their rounds. Harry spent the time playing chess with Remus while Sirius talked about what was happening with his family.

With Walburga dead, Sirius should have inherited the Black family wealth. Unfortunately because he was still a student, his father was raising a stink, trying to freeze the proceedings long enough to rewrite the deeds to the Black properties and transfer funds to his own family account. Dorea, being a Black herself, was fighting Orion, claiming he was stealing from Sirius, which he was. Thanks to Dorea, Orion couldn't touch anything unless Sirius told him to. While he couldn't do anything himself until he graduated, his father couldn't a damn thing ever.

"Sirius, you still need to be careful. Orion's family has money of its own," advised Remus. "No where near as much as you do but still a lot. You'd be careful not make him an enemy."

Sirius barked a cynical laugh. "Moony, that man is an enemy whether I want him to be or not. As soon as I graduate I'm kicking him and dear Regulus to the curb. If they don't like it, they can kiss my…"

"Don't finish that Padfoot," warned Lily from the doorway. "Now, what are you going on about?" After Sirius and Remus filled her in, she sided with Remus. "Don't take your anger out on them Sirius. They treated you terribly but you won't make anything better by stooping to their level. Besides, remember that in their own twisted way they tried to save you at Christmas. Lucius didn't kill you; he just took you to Walburga."

Sirius muttered and cursed under his breath but Harry got the feeling he saw the truth in what Lily was saying. And Harry, from the little he knew about Regulus, did not think he was a bad guy. He'd reserve judgment for Orion, who seemed like a patsy. But Regulus seemed like a good kid even if he would make bad decisions in the future.

With Sirius brooding, the topic shifted to something different—the attack on Christmas. Remus, who knew everything that happened already, was clearly embarrassed over what might have been. Lily, James, and Sirius tried to tell him he did nothing wrong but he looked guilty. Peter just looked surprised that anything like that could happen. Harry didn't sense deception, which he took as a good sign. Apparently Peter would fall after graduation.

As the train chugged North, Harry started feeling tired and leaned against the glass, enjoying the cold glass on his face. It was a cloudy day and was becoming colder as the train pushed north. Soon the cold Harry enjoyed became too cold to handle. As he pulled his head up, he watched black smoke rising out of some houses, blowing towards the train. He hoped there wasn't a fire in the woods. The wind was blowing the branches away from the train with great force. Wind like that would spread the fire easy.

Harry's head snapped back at the window. The wind was blowing the trees _away _from the train. He watched the smoke, which was blowing at the train. He squinted his eyes. There were strange breaks in the smoke. Then it hit him. "Death Eaters," he whispered.

"What is it Nathan," James asked.

Harry jumped to his feet, wand in his hand. He ignored the exclamations from James and the others. "There are Death Eaters out there, about to come on the train." Then he realized how cold it was on the train all of a sudden. "And they brought Dementors." His parents and surrogate family all looked at him quizzically.

"Nathan, Death Eaters can't get on the…" Sirius was cut off as several crashes could be heard throughout the train, followed by the screams of frightened boys and girls. "Sweet Merlin, you're right." James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily were up, wands ready. "We need to help."

Harry could hardly disagree. They left the compartment. James, Lily, and Harry headed towards the screams while Remus and Sirius went to he engineer. He or she had to know about the attack but they would need protection.

Harry and his parents could hardly move forward after a while. What seemed like every student was streaming towards the front of the train. Harry snarled hatefully when he saw Death Eaters gleefully picking off the fleeing children. He fired five stunners over the heads of the fleeing children, forcing the Death Eaters to duck. When he reached a knot of them, he showed not mercy. His parents showed none either. Attack fleeing children in the back…you deserved everything you received. Seeing them fighting, several sixth and seventh years stopped and joined in.

"Avada Kedvra," roared one of the Death Eaters, trying to hide kids. His curse flew over Harry's head, blowing a hole in the roof of the train.

"Rompere osso!" Harry's bone-breaking curse flew straight and true, hitting the Death Eater right in the chest. He moaned and fell backwards. The man's ribs were broken. The force of the spell may have driven a rib into his heart or lungs, in which case he would die. Harry didn't care. He moved on to the next Death Eater.

After what seemed like hours but was really twenty-two minutes, Harry, James, Lily, and the others sixth and seventh years had reached the last car. All the Death Eaters were either dead or tied up. Imagine their surprise when they couldn't surrender to kids. How quickly a sixth year can learn the _cruciatus _after seeing a friend injured or murdered right in front of them.

Some of the others lowered their wands when they realized they were at the end of the train. Harry was not so sure they were done. He knew there were Dementors out there and he was sure there were more Death Eaters.

And he was right. The train gave an all mighty lurch. It was almost thrown off the tracks. When the train slammed back on its tracks, Harry noticed Death Eaters flying around outside. Seething with rage, he blew a hole in the top of the train and jumped up top. Wind threatened to blow him off but he steadied himself. The Death Eaters on brooms certainly weren't expecting someone to pull his stunt. With the momentary advantage, Harry lassoed one of the brooms and summoned it. The Death Eater tried to fight but he was too slow. Harry broke his first lasso and cast _atrum textus redimio_; the Death Eater, bound in a green net that would slowly kill him, fell to the ground. The fall may kill him all by itself.

Again Harry didn't care. He mounted the broom and took to the skies. Every Death Eater converged on him, convinced this was the way to defeat him. His shields kept out the worst of their spells while he flew around the Unforgivables. When he was feet from his first target, he fired an orb of hatred. The black ball shot clean through the Death Eaters side; Harry could briefly see from one side of his body through the other.

A few of the others became much more angry while others flew away from Harry as fast as they could. Harry battled the other Death Eaters as best as he could. Now that they knew he was a threat, they weren't holding back. In his rage, it didn't really matter. He either killed or knocked three more off their brooms before one hit his broom with a blasting hex. Timing it as best as he could, Harry jumped off his ruined broom and landed behind another Death Eater.

"Hiya," he said with a grim smile and then punched the Death Eater. The shrill squeal told him it was a woman. He shrugged his shoulders. She was trying to kill innocent children and would kill him if she had the chance. Besides, Harry didn't kill her. The ground would.

At this point the other Death Eaters were trying to avoid Harry at all costs. But it wasn't helping them. The people on the train were firing curses out the windows, peppering the fleeing Death Eaters with fire and preventing them from escaping. Harry's rage started to ebb when he saw this. Clearly everyone was safe. The Death Eaters he battled know he captured and tried to keep alive if he could without putting himself in danger.

When the last Death Eater was gone, Harry flew around the train for another five minutes making sure everyone was safe. Only when he was sure did he jump back into the train. Several dozen students were there to congratulate him but he sought out his family. Lily and James were tending to the wounded. When they saw him, James pulled him in for a bear hug. "You were incredible Nathan. I've never seen such fighting. And on a broom no less!"

Harry just clapped his dad on the shoulder and thanked him for helping the injured. Lily smothered him too when she got her hands on him. He hugged her back, stroking her hair. "How is everyone here," he asked.

"They're fine. I'm just glad you're okay." She gave him an exasperated look. "You just can't resist throwing yourself in the line of fire." She sounded more proud then afraid.

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry but I can't. Those Death Eaters would've tried to tip the train if someone hadn't done anything. Since no one else was here to do the job I did it. That's all."

Lily smiled now. "And that's what makes you that guy."

Before Harry could respond, the engineer called out that the train was working but because of the damage they could only go half speed. They wouldn't arrive in Hogsmeade until five or six. Harry was surprised they would be able to move at all. With the extra time, Harry helped heal the injured. He wasn't very good, not like his parents, but he could help. When he figured there was nothing more he could do, he took a group of students and repaired the damages to the train so the students could come back down. That was a chore all by itself; the younger students were terrified and didn't want to be alone. In the end, Harry and other seventh years stayed with them until they arrived at Hogsmeade.

Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the staff were waiting for the students when the train pulled into the station. More to the point, there were fifty Aurors there as well. Harry, his parents, and a few other seventh and sixth years prefects held back to make sure everyone boarded a carriage safely.

"The engineer tells me you all had something to do with saving the train," growled Moody when just Harry, Lily, and the Marauders remained. Moody's eyes set on Harry and he smiled gruffly. "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised you're involved. Great work Nathan." He clapped Harry hard on the shoulder. "Good job all of you for healing the others and fixing the train."

Dumbledore was looking over the group, a proud twinkle in his eye. "Yes. Under the circumstances, I think house points are in order. One hundred to each house and another one hundred to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for taking a leadership role during this crisis."

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore," said James, Lily, and Remus together. Harry just nodded.

"Now, best be off I think. I'm sure you're all very hungry. And," he added with another famous twinkle, "being a hero doesn't excuse you from classes tomorrow I'm afraid."


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 26

Harry was relieved when the Welcoming Feast finally came to an end. It wasn't any longer then any other east he remembered but it felt longer. People were congratulating him for what he did on the train. At the Gryffindor table it was worse because their housemates and the Hufflepuffs assaulted Lily and the Marauders. James and Sirius acted as if they loved the attention, which was in character, but Lily and Remus looked like Harry felt; eighteen students were injured in the attack, seven of them in critical condition. Where was the cause to celebrate?

After the Feast, and wanting a moment to think, Harry told his friends he was going to the bathroom. When he was sure the halls were empty, he disillusioned himself and walked up to the Room of Requirement. "Oh thank Merlin," he said, collapsing into a chair next to the bookcase. The boggart didn't stir and for once Harry was grateful; he wanted someone to talk to but not Malfoy.

His friends though…he walked over to the portrait room. He knew his friends hadn't gone home for the holidays. Voldemort, fearing the students would not return, had ordered Snape to keep the students in the castle over the break.

Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and (surprisingly) Remus and Tonks were in the Room of Requirement tonight. Harry wisely changed his appearance back to normal. If his friends told Remus and Tonks the truth that was their decision. If not he was uncomfortable with them knowing the truth when they spent so much time fighting Death Eaters. Harry didn't know what Voldemort would do if he knew Harry was in the past but he didn't want to find out either.

"Evening Moony," Harry called when none of his friends noticed him. Remus looked around, his wand at the ready. "Easy Remus," he said laughing. "I'm right here, in the portrait above the mantle." _So much for telling them where I am._

Remus and Tonks at first were speechless as they looked at Harry's portrait. Then they both inexplicably started to cry. Then Harry realized what they were thinking. "Guys. Guys," he yelled, getting their attention. "Guys, I'm not dead."

Tonks looked at the others while Remus eyed Harry. "How are you in the portrait then?"

"That is something I can't really answer," Harry said, hoping Ginny, Hermione, and Ron would follow his lead. "I'm not really sure where I am. I am trying to get home though."

This seemed enough for Remus though Harry noticed Tonks looking at him oddly. Or maybe it was a trick of the light because the next second she was scowling at Remus. "Since you're here now Harry, maybe you can talk some sense in my husband." Remus dropped his head with a sigh.

Harry was just confused. "What's wrong? What is Remus planning to do?"

"I'm not planning to do anything Harry," he snapped. "I've been spending much of my time in Eastern Europe trying to recruit the werewolf colonies to fight against Dumbledore."

Harry nodded. "Yes I remember you doing that last year on Dumbledore's orders. Are you having any luck?"

Remus shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I've convinced a few tribes to stay neutral but most want to follow Voldemort. They believe him when he says werewolves will be equal in his new society. And Fenrir Grayback is not helping matters any. He follows me relentlessly, trying to kill me and terrorizing the few tribes I've had success with."

Harry nodded again. "Fair enough. I mean I'm not happy that Grayback is trying to kill you but you've outwitted him so far. What is the problem now?"

Tonks walked over, glaring at her husband. "Remus is going to try and kill Grayback. He's going to hunt the other werewolf when he returns to the continent."

Lupin glared back at Tonks. "It needs to be done! I can't keep hiding from Grayback forever. He's a predator. Eventually he'll turn to the other werewolves to help capture me. What would you have me do?"

"Stay here," she yelled. "Damn it, what are your trying to prove by going abroad anyway. You told me yourself that you've visited hundreds of tribes and had success with maybe ten. There's no reason to go abroad. You don't see Hagrid traipsing across the continent looking for more giants do you?"

Now the newlyweds were on their feet, yelling at one another, almost face to face. "Dora, Dumbledore wanted me to do this. It needs to be done. Even if I only convince one tribe to stay neutral it will be worth it. And besides, my work helps everyone here. While Grayback is hunting me he isn't here contaminating our people. And once I kill him, I'm sure I'll have better luck with the other tribes. He's Voldemort's mouthpiece in Eastern Europe. Take him out of the picture and only Dumbledore's word is left."

Tonks was not impressed. In fact, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently. "Damn it Remus, Dumbledore is dead. Did you ever stop to think that maybe they're not buying what you're selling because they don't trust your word without Dumbledore?" Remus snarled hatefully, sounding very much like a wolf, and pushed Tonks onto the hard stone floor. Without sparing a backwards glance he left through a portrait of a young, blond girl with beautiful blue eyes.

Harry glared at Remus' back. How could he treat his wife like that, regardless of how angry his was? Harry agreed with him insofar that Grayback needed to be dealt with if he was going to succeed in Europe, but Tonks had a point as well—without Dumbledore there was little chance his message would be heard.

Tonks didn't stay long after Remus left. Perhaps sensing her feelings, a new portrait sprang into being about five yards from the other and Tonks left through that portrait. Her hair was a fiery red now. Harry shuddered; Remus would be in trouble if she ever got her hands on him.

"I can't believe Remus," hissed Ginny indignantly. "How could that ruddy bastard treat Tonks like that?"

"I'm not defending his actions mind you, but I think the stress of being hunted and trying to convince the werewolves is too much for him to bear. Plus I think Dumbledore's passing in a lot of ways hurt him more then most of us. Dumbledore let him into Hogwarts when no other headmaster would've talked to him. He also helped get him a very prestigious job, one where he could do a lot of good for kids but also his reputation. Tonks throwing Dumbledore in his face may have been over the line."

"So that excuses him throwing Tonks to the floor," said Ginny, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Gin, I never said that and I never would. There was no excuse for him throwing Tonks to the floor. But you can't say he isn't under a great deal of stress."

Hermione gave him a shrewd look. "What about you? The most powerful dark wizard is hunting you ever. Dumbledore meant more to you then Remus. I can't imagine you ever acting like that, to any of us."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm also not a werewolf. I'm sure even when he isn't transforming the werewolf in him sometimes makes him do things he wouldn't normally do. Again I'm not defending his actions but I'm not going to completely throw him under the bus either."

When Hermione and Ginny looked ready to retort, Harry held up his hand. "I'm sorry to cut you off but I've missed you guys over the holiday. I was hoping we could talk about something more pleasant." Harry chose refrain from talking about his grandparents for now and instead listened to his friends talk about how strong the DA and the Order of the Serpent (the Slytherin groups fighting against the Carrows) were becoming.

"Neville actually has been working closely with Tracey," said Hermione with a glint in her eye. "Sometimes they'll be planning things for hours at a time, all alone in the Room of Requirement." Harry suffered a timely coughing fit, choosing to ignore what Hermione was implying. Ron and Ginny laughed at Harry's embarrassment.

"How are things with the Carrows," asked Harry, quickly becoming serious.

"Actually they're improving. I'm not quite sure how to explain it but the ghosts, suits of armor, and even Peeves are conspiring against the Carrows," said Ron. His best male friend fidgeted for a second before continuing. "We, that is the leaders of the DA, think Snape is protecting us. Hermione's been researching the history, magic, and building plans of Hogwarts. Only the Headmaster can control the suits of armor, all the wards inside and outside the school, and ultimately control Peeves. Snape must be trying to help us."

Harry listened attentively, trying to find fault in Snape's actions. He didn't want to believe it but he trusted his friend's judgment too much to openly call them naïve. "Just be careful," was all he could say after a couple minutes of thought. He needed to work harder to get to know Snape now. Maybe he could figure out if Snape was really good or not.

"How are you Harry," asked Ginny with concern.

"I'm all right actually. There was a Death Eater attack on the Hogwarts Express earlier today. Mum, dad, and the Marauders helped keep everyone safe, as did a number of other sixth and seventh years."

"And where were you mate. Hiding in your compartment." Harry chose to ignore his friend.

"But something else happened. Tell me, do any of you know when my grandparents died. Not my mum's parents but my dad's."

"Yeah," said Ron. "There was an attack on Potter manor on Christmas night in, when was it, 1977."

"No Ron. Harry's grandparents survived that battle," said Ginny. "They died on October 31st, 1989, two years before you started Hogwarts."

Ron looked ready to argue with Ginny when Hermione stepped between them. "Harry, you saved your grandparents on Christmas didn't you." It was not a question.

_So I was right _he thought. _I can't believe I saved them. And they'd live long enough to save me from the worst of the Dursley's. _Harry told his friends about everything that happened that night, especially how Lily managed to control Voldemort in his animagus form. While Ron and Ginny looked alarmed that Voldemort was an animagus, Hermione looked impressed by Lily's show of magical prowess.

And that made Harry think of something else. "What about Lily's parents. Do you know when they died?" Unfortunately his three friends shook their heads.

"I'm sorry Harry but I've never found mention of them in any of the autobiographies I read about you. Besides, most of that information is moot now."

Harry figured she was probably right. He hoped his wards could help him save them. Maybe he could save himself from the Dursley's all together. If Lily's parents were alive, Dumbledore would have other options besides putting Harry in the Dursley's. Even if he knew he wouldn't suffer now, he still didn't want to live there if he could avoid it.

But that was an issue for another night. Wishing his friends a good night, Harry went to bed, deciding to sleep in the Room of Requirement. His only class in the morning was double Defense and he only needed his wand.

* * *

Defense, while still Harry's best subject, was no longer his favorite. As much as he appreciated Professor Sindri he was disappointed that she held back from teaching them more advanced Auror spells. Much of her curriculum Harry already knew and practiced in the Room. What Harry did not realize was he only needed patience.

"Good morning my friends," said Professor Sindri after everyone was in their seats. "After what happened on the train yesterday and the remarkable progress all of you have shown, I've decided to skip my original plans and jump into some of the spells I learned in the Auror Academy." There was a great deal of pleased and eager murmuring at this declaration. Professor Sindri simply smiled.

"Now, today we're going to be having our lesson in the Great Hall. All you'll need is your wand. Once you have that, please follow me." There was a mini scrum as students tried to be first in line to follow her. The only person who seemed unfazed was Snape, who hung back. Harry was tempted to hang back but James kept him near the front with Lily.

The students were all amazed at what had been done to the Great Hall. It looked like a forest and easily was five times as large as it normally was. Harry rubbed his hands in anticipation. This was going to be good!

"Everyone, go ahead and take a seat," Sindri called out. "Now, yesterday many of you saw first hand just how dangerous Lord Voldemort's followers are." The class shuddered at hearing his name. Harry was pleased to see Sindri roll her eyes. "Five points from each House. Ladies and gentlemen, fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. And besides, saying his name will not suddenly make Voldemort appear."

"Now, for the next two weeks we are going to be learning spells that can save you and innocent bystanders in a duel or battle. These are spells that can alter your environment. The first is _extraxi aer_. I'll need a volunteer for this spell." James jumped to his feet. "Very good Mr. Potter. Let me explain what is going to happen." She pulled him to the side and whispered in his ear. James tensed a little but didn't back down. Sindri patted him on the back. "Okay Mr. Potter, whenever you're ready."

James took a deep breath and ran out into the brush. When he was maybe fifteen yards away, Sindri waved her wand in an arc and said the incantation. The effects were immediate and obvious; James grabbed at his throat, slowly becoming red, then blue, before collapsing. Sindri flicked her wand again and, just before Lily went running to James, Prongs coughed, wheezed, and got to his feet. "Thank you Mr. Potter," Professor Sindri said when he returned to the group. "Twenty points to Gryffindor. Take this potion and you'll feel better." James gratefully took the potion and indeed the color returned to his face and his breathing stabilized.

"Can anyone tell me what spell I just used on Mr. Potter?" Several hands shot up. "Mr. Lewis," she pointed at one of the Hufflepuffs.

"You removed all the oxygen in the area so he couldn't breathe."

"Outstanding. Five points to Hufflepuff. Now, can anyone tell me what you would do if someone used this spell in a battle? Mrs. Evans."

"I would use the bubble-head charm," Lily answered.

"That would be good my dear, but only for a little while. The bubblehead charm does not normally last longer then an hour and you can't cast spells verbally. Now in a battle you want to be silent to crush your enemy but sometimes you need to create a ward and that requires a chant. You can't do that with a bubble-head charm."

"No, the best thing you can do is calm your mind, take a few deep breaths, and use your magic to conserve all the oxygen in your body. This is a very difficult technique to master but I've met witches and wizards who could use this technique to go without breathing for hours. One of my mentors, a member of the British Magical Navy, can hold his breath for fifty-five hours straight." She smiled at the surprised looks on all their faces. "Don't get excited. Most people can't last longer then five to eight hours, max. But you can see how in a battle against a dangerous foe that may last a long time, this power is more useful then a bubble-head charm."

"But how could you speak. Wouldn't you have to hold your breath," asked Harry.

"Ordinarily yes. But if you need to stop the spell or create a ward, you can speak for short periods of time. This uses up valuable oxygen but if you conserve enough and can connect sufficiently with your magical core, it should not take up too much of your valuable oxygen." She glanced at her watch. "All right, today we're going to practice the spell itself. I'll trust you to work on breath control on your own." She smiled a little madly. "If you don't practice, I daresay I'll be able to tell."

Another series of wand movements and eighteen dummies materialized from thin air. "Given the danger in using this curse I'm going to put you into different sections of the forest and you'll try this spell on your dummy. You'll know if you're doing it well because it was collapse in on itself if deprived of oxygen. Once your dummy is 'dead' call me and we'll see if you can do the spell on a person. I'm not expecting many of you to reach that point but that's the goal."

By the end of the two hours, only Harry had managed to "kill" his dummy and perform the spell on Professor Sindri. He did not expect he would need to _want_ to deprive a person of oxygen. He supposed he should've expected that; in the wrong hands this was a dark curse and you wouldn't want someone doing it accidentally.

"Very good work all of you. Twenty points to Ravenclaw for performing the spell so admirably Mr. Evans. Tomorrow we'll finish our work with this spell and then move on to temperature manipulation. That should take us to the end of the week. And make sure you practice breath control. The password to the prefect's bathroom is 'pine fresh.' Practice the spell underwater to see if you've mastered it. Don't expect to be able to hold your breath for long. This technique takes practice."

After Defense, Harry a couple of hours to himself before lunch. He went up to the Tower to grab his things and was about to go the Room of Requirement when Flitwick intercepted him in the common room. "Ah, just the man I was looking for," he squeaked with excitement.

"It's good to see you too Professor. What can I do for you today?"

"Actually, I have a message from Professor Dumbledore. He would like to speak with you before lunch. He sounded urgent." _That _was not something Harry expected. But he could hardly refuse and audience with the Headmaster.

"Thank you Professor. Ill see him immediately." Harry took his time, trying to think of any reason why the Headmaster would need to urgently see him. He had done nothing wrong, at least that he could think of. What then did he want?

The gargoyle jumped out the way as soon as he stepped in front of it. Harry gulped. Dumbledore really wanted to see him. None of his anxiety showed on his face as he entered Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster was standing behind his desk, staring out over the grounds. "Professor Dumbledore sir. You wished to see me."

The Headmaster turned, his face revealing nothing, his eyes devoid of any twinkle. "I did. Please take a seat Mr. Potter." He gestured for Harry to sit. Harry was about to sit when he really heard what the Headmaster said. He started sweating and stood tall again. "Is that not your name," the Headmaster said, still looking serious. "Harry James Potter that is."

"How did you find that out sir," Harry asked.

"So it is true. I have to admit I was surprised, though I cannot understand why you would hide your true identity from me." Dumbledore did not sound angry, more disappointed then anything else. "Mr. Potter, are you lying to Miss Evans as well?"

Harry dropped into the seat. "No sir. Lily knows my real name."

"Are you related to James Potter," he asked, clearly expecting the answer to be yes. When Harry nodded, Dumbledore leaned forward. "How are you related to James Harry? Why did you hide this fact from nearly everyone you've met?"

Harry sighed. "Sir, I'm not just related to James. I'm also related to Lily." Harry didn't go on. He trusted Dumbledore was smart enough to connect the dots.

At first he looked blank. "Harry, that is impossible. The Evans are a muggle family and have been for centuries while the Potters are the third oldest magical family in Britain. There is no possible way you can be related to both. Unless you're their child," he added, the twinkle returning to his eye as he chuckled. Then he noticed Harry was silent. His face grew serious again. "You're their son," he gasped.

Harry nodded and waved his wand over his face and head, eliminating all of the cosmetic charms he and Lily put in place. Dumbledore's face could've gone in the dictionary next to the word "shock." Harry couldn't blame for being surprised, though he wished he knew how the Headmaster had found out his secret.

"Harry, why are you here? How did you get here?"

"As you can guess, I'm from the future. Twenty years to be exact. Ironically my school years match up perfectly with my parents', just twenty years in the future." Harry chuckled but quickly grew serious again. "In my time Voldemort is still terrorizing the world. One night last June I was in a battle with Voldemort's Death Eaters. Voldemort tried to kill me but his curse and mine somehow hit one another and a tremendous explosion blew us apart. I ended up here in Lily's back yard. I cannot tell you why I'm here because I don't know."

Dumbledore listened to his story, looking thoughtful. Harry hoped he didn't question Harry further. Dumbledore, in time, would connect the dots. For now Harry wanted him to stay in the dark. Of course he should've known the Headmaster was nobody's fool.

"Harry, why was Lord Voldemort trying to kill you?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly do not know sir. He killed Hagrid just before coming after me. I was fighting his followers. That seems like it would be enough." He could tell Dumbledore did not buy his story for a minute but he didn't push Harry, for which the boy was immensely grateful.

Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Potter, I know you are withholding information from me. What I don't know is what or why. It seems to me, given your extensive magical ability that in your time Voldemort is targeting you. Am I right?" Harry said nothing. "I take it by your silence that you're not going to answer, which leads me to believe I am right. Since that is the case, I'll keep your secret. But I also want you to know that whatever you need while you are in this time, I am here. You have a reason for being here and it must have something to do with stopping Voldemort. I'll help you however I can."

"Thank you sir. I appreciate you offer. If there is anything I need I come to you." Dumbledore nodded but before Harry could leave he needed to know something. "Sir, how did you find out my real name?"

The Headmaster waved his hand over his desk, revealing the marauder's map. "Remus and Sirius were looking at the Marauder's Map in the hall after Defense. They were alarmed to see your name in the bubble talking to Lily only a few feet in front of them." Harry groaned. He didn't think about the bloody map. Of course it would reveal his real name.

"What am I going to do," Harry moaned.

"I don't think you have any choice but to tell them the truth Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore with some sympathy but not much. "I'll naturally keep this map and turn it over to Mr. Filch. However I cannot help you with Remus and Sirius."

They weren't the ones Harry was worried about. What if they told Peter? "Sir, where are they now? Are they in the same class as James and Peter?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Remus in presently in Ancient Runes. Sirius is taking potions with Lily." Harry groaned again. "James is in Care of Magical Creatures. Peter has a break."

"Thank you sir," said Harry, jumping out of his chair and sprinting to the 8th floor where Professor Babbling had her first N.E.W.T. runes class. Disguising his scar and turning his eyes hazel, and for good measure adding some dirt to his robes and face, Harry knocked on the door. "I'm sorry to bother you Professor but can I speak to Remus," he said, trying to sound out of breath. Remus came out and Harry pulled him to the side. "What's this I hear about Nathan having a different name?" He wanted to make sure Dumbledore wasn't lying.

But Remus knew. "His name is Harry James Potter. Sirius and I saw it on the marauder's map before Dumbledore confiscated it. We told him about Nathan but he…" Feeling guilty, Harry silenced his friend and stunned him. "I'm sorry Remus. Obliviate!" Harry was a little worried he removed too much; he removed all his memories from the end of Defense through being pulled out of Runes. But it needed to be done and Harry wasn't good enough to remove specific memories.

Leaving Remus, Harry sprinted down to the dungeons. He had only fifteen minutes before class ended. He only just reached the lab before the bell. As he expected Lily and Sirius were the first to leave. "Padfoot," Harry yelled. James turned around and ran to him.

"Prongs, you'll never believe what I heard. Nathan isn't…" Harry silenced and stunned his godfather, much to the surprise of Lily.

"James, what are you doing?" Then she seemed to understand what was happening. "Harry, you don't have to remove their memories. They have a right to know."

Harry didn't respond. He removed Sirius' memories from Defense from Harry calling him. While Sirius was still stunned, Harry pulled Lily to the side and put the cosmetic charms back in place. "Mum, I'm sorry. But they can't find out like this."

"Why," she demanded.

"Because I can't let Peter find out who I really am. Please understand me when I say that can never happen. I promise I'll tell James and the others in time. But not like this. I have to be sure Peter will never find out and I don't know to ensure that won't happen."

Lily didn't look pleased but she didn't argue further. She gathered up her books and left Harry without a backwards glance.


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 27

"God almighty damn Potter," wheezed the boggart Malfoy, panting hard on his knees. "You're in rare form tonight. What gives?"

Harry paced in a slow, short rhythm above Malfoy, his face devoid of any emotion. His eyes were flashing dangerously though. It was a deeply unsettling sight to be honest; his bright emerald eyes were flashing as if a fire burned hot behind them. He was completely silent too. Malfoy was not sure if he was even breathing.

The boggart tentatively got to his feet. Not even a millisecond after he _twitched, _Potter sent a large black orb with green tendrils heading right at him. Malfoy rolled over just in time to avoid the curse but the blast picked him up and threw him across halfway across the chamber. He hit a rock at an unnatural angle and felt his arm break and at least two ribs. When he stopped rolling, he spit out blood and struggled to his feet using the rock.

Harry jumped high into the air, aided by magic. He flipped once and landed on the rock Malfoy was using to struggle to his feet. But before he could cast another curse, Malfoy threw his head back and screamed. Harry jumped away to protect himself but when he looked back at Malfoy, the boggart was still screaming and now was smoking. But maybe a minute later the smoke started to clear and where Malfoy once stood now stood the tall, imposing figure of Bellatrix Lestrange.

She looked around and when he eyes found Harry's, she smiled a rather insane smile. "It's itty, bitty, baby Potter. And look, he wants to play." She cackled madly. Then, in the blink of an eye, she turned on her heel and disappeared. Harry had no time to prepare himself before she ran past him, magically enhanced, and cut him right down his back with that blasted knife.

Harry clenched his jaw against the pain and healed the wound. Then he spun on his heel, reappearing behind the boggart wardrobe, invisible and the best security charms he knew were in place to hide his presence. It seemed enough to fool Bellatrix. "Come out, come out wherever you are wee bitty Potty," she sang. "Aunt Bellatrix has something for you."

"Bitch," he mumbled under his breath. Poking his head around the corner, he saw her slinking through the arena, trying to find him. He needed to get that knife out of her hand before he could do anything else; she was as quick and deadly with it as she was with her wand. When her back was turned, he fired a curse over her head that blew up over the arena and rained the equivalent of napalm down over the victim. It was a nifty spell (_pluvia incendia_). As Bellatrix fought the flames—she didn't know where the curse came from—Harry spun on his heel and reappeared on a boulder maybe ten yards away.

He silently summoned the knife, which was wrenched from her hand, momentarily keeping her from fighting the flames. "Damn you Potter…Aieeee!" A lick of fire burned her hand and she went back to fight the flames.

Harry disappeared again, reappearing closer to the fire but to her left. She sensed his arrival though; three killing curses almost cut him down before he could jump behind a rock for safety. "You'll have to do better then that Potter," she snarled, all sarcasm gone from her voice. "I learned the Dark Arts at the heel of the Dark Lord himself. You'll never beat me!"

The psycho witch disappeared, deciding it was pointless to fight the fire. She reappeared well across the arena. "You know magic Potter. I'll give you that. But let's see how you handle the heat."

Knowing what was coming, Harry cast the same shields and wards over himself he used to protect his family at Christmas. But he needed to keep up appearances. Confidant his shields would hold, he jumped onto a rock and started muttering a counter-curse to fiendfyre he read in his Defense book. He knew a much better one but this would work for now. The tidal wave of fire slowed and eventually stopped a few yards from Harry. The witch leered and, sure she had Harry beat, sauntered over to him, walking behind rocks that hid Harry from her view occasionally.

"It seems we're trapped Potty," she sang. "Too bad. The fight you're having with mummy means if I use a killing curse, no one may find you before you die of starvation. The mudblood Ravenclaw can't keep you from dying forever." She cast two killing curses at him. But imagine her surprise when both passed through Harry without harming him at all. "How is this possible?"

"The 48th law of power Bellatrix: Assume a state of formlessness." The real Harry was ten yards away, right behind Bellatrix. He let go of the fiendfyre. Bellatrix needed to act fast to save herself. Now she was holding the fire and was in the position of weakness. Harry sauntered over to her, eyes flashing. He stroked her cheek lightly, reveling in the anger she was feeling. She knew she was defenseless; she could sense the wards Harry had the foresight to use when she cast the fiendfyre, wards she didn't take the time to cast. "Everything changes Bella. You have to be like water, constantly moving, in a state of perpetual fluidity. That's the only way you can have and hold onto power."

Harry scowled. He still had much to learn. He certainly wasn't fluid, not all the time. Otherwise he would have realized the map could betray his true identity. Now he needed to find a way to make up with his mum. He truly felt bad for what he did to Remus and Sirius but he didn't see any other way. He needed to make Lily understand. He also wanted to spend time with her again; in the two days since Harry modified Remus and Sirius' memories, Lily had been avoiding him. The hate and anger he felt towards himself was what was driving him tonight.

But he would deal with that later. Bellatrix was starting to control and contain the fiendfyre. In a few minutes it would be gone. He needed to act. Stepping back a few feet, Harry pointed his wand and thought of Sirius falling through the veil. "_Buio laterale viticci_!"

A black hole appeared under Bellatrix, a translucent mist rising, partially hiding her from sight. Thick, black tentacles rose from the hole. Bellatrix visibly paled, the fiendfyre roaring dangerously. Harry only focused on the curse, pouring all his hate and anger for Bellatrix and for himself into the spell.

He had only read about the curse and it sounded terrible enough. Now he saw its power. The tentacles grabbed parts of her body, burning her flesh and even her bone. Her screams were terrible but Harry respected her control; she still kept fighting the fiendfyre.

But even psychopathic witches have their limits. Blood was pouring out of the wounds on her arms, legs, and sides, charred bits of blackened flesh doing nothing to keep her strength. With a terrible screech she fell to her knees and was consumed by her own fiendfyre. When he was sure the boggart was dead, Harry spent a few minutes fighting the fiendfyre, using the same spell he was sure Bellatrix was using. With his new wand (to say nothing of his greater power) the fire was gone just after his wards dissolved. A few minor first-degree burns on his hands and face were easily healed.

The boggart had also transformed back into Malfoy while he was taking care of the fiendfyre. Malfoy had an expression that was equal parts shock, respect, and fear. "Merlin's beard Potter. What has you in such a right state tonight? I know about Aunt Bella but since you walked in you've had an aura of power and rage about you I've never seen before, not even when the Dark Lord branded me with the mark."

Harry still felt adrenaline and power coursing through his veins but it was ebbing. "I did something a couple of days ago that upset Lily. I don't see what else I could've done and I really regret what I did but I had no choice."

"Potter, that is the easiest excuse in the book for anything. 'Yes I did divorce my wife and abandon my kids but I had no choice. I was suffocating.' 'I cheated on my girlfriend but damn it she wasn't putting out. I have needs. What choice did I have?' Or my personal favorite: 'Mudbloods and muggles are contaminating the world. Their primitive instincts and natural tendency to kill anything they don't understand or that is a little different is a danger to the magical race. My friends we have no choice put to strike at the heart of the muggles first, before the rot can spread any further. If we wait, we will surely die.' Bullocks all of it but it comes back to the same thing."

"Where did you hear that last? Is that something Voldemort said?"

Malfoy shook his head. "No, that one wasn't the Dark Lord. It is too rational. The Dark Lord kills muggles and mudbloods because he _wants _to kill them. As far as he is concerned that is reason enough. If people don't agree they're enemies. He sees the world only in black and white. That really is why he hasn't conquered the UK and Europe yet. If he'd try to coax the people on the fence to see him as a crusader instead of a despot he'd have so many more followers. Instead there is a number of people who try and stay neutral and tacitly pass information along to the Ministry."

"No, the person who said that last was Grindelwald. Grindelwald was a master politician as well as a brilliant and powerful wizard. He publicly preached about isolating and enslaving muggles. They would be encouraged to have children with magical folks because oddly enough muggles every once in a while produce the most powerful witches and wizards to walk the Earth. Mudbloods didn't have to die; as children they needed to be taken from their families and raised as magical beings."

"His cause was so much more palatable. He wanted muggles dead but why risk losing the people on the fence. Manufacture the most terrible war the muggles have every fought and let them kill each other. Your hands stay clean and you're image intact but the muggles still die. Grindelwald was brilliant and that is why he was so hard to defeat."

"So what does all this have to do with me," Harry asked, not making the connection though he was interested to hear about Grindelwald.

Malfoy sighed. "Potter, what I'm saying is that you have to be careful. I understand that you're upset with yourself and seeing Bella only compounded that. And I understand I told you that you have to learn the Dark Arts to defeat Voldemort. But you can't lose sight of who you are. I felt the joy in you when you tormented, hurt, and killed Bella. You purposefully let the fire burn because you wanted to torture her, make her suffer. What you do not know is that in the process you were accidentally keeping her alive longer then should have been possible. She had already suffered so much; the fire should have killed her almost immediately. Yet it didn't; it took a few minutes to kill her. Your desire to cause her pain kept her alive. That is very dark magic, a favorite of the Dark Lord. And if you don't learn control now, it will become second nature. That is what makes the dark arts so dangerous. They're like a drug. You feel powerful, maybe even giddy the first time you use them. The next time you use the curse you try to get that high but it is never the same. So you try another dark technique trying to get the high back. But it will never come and soon you spend your life trying to relive that giddiness. And you become immune to the agonized screams. It is a game all of a sudden. It is a dangerous slope. Learn the spells but never lose those anchors to your sanity."

Harry understood now and the feeling scared him. He _did _enjoy hurting Bellatrix, making her suffer. As far as he was concerned she deserved it. But what happened if he no longer associated that hatred with his love for Sirius? Sirius was his anchor, what kept him coming back when he fought Bella in the past. If he ever lost that anchor, if he turned that anger on everyone who wronged him—he wouldn't be any different from Voldemort if that day ever came. Draco was right. He needed to be careful.

And that made him think of something much worse. What happens if he fights and kills Voldemort using all the dark techniques he has learned, and the light too but for the sake of argument he focused on the dark arts, and he couldn't come back. To defeat darkness so powerful would mean he had power no ordinary wizard possessed. How could he come back from that?

Harry collapsed in a chair, now truly scared. Malfoy took a seat next to him, arms folded across his chest. "Potter, you need to have a reason for coming back and you'll need it before you fight Voldemort. You need to go into that duel with a reason to make the right decision. Girl, ideals, whatever it is it needs to be powerful. After defeating Grindelwald, Dumbledore's reason was fear and that is no reason at all. He stood aside as Voldemort gained power. If he had acted sooner he could've stopped all of this. Fear, the same fear that kept him from fighting Grindelwald sooner, has unintentionally led to the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent lives. Whatever reason helps you come back from Voldemort also needs to motivate you to stay on your toes for the rest of your life. Merlin had a sweetheart and a few bastard children he loved. Gryffindor had Hogwarts and all it represented for the hope of the magical world. You need to have something too."

"Why do I need to worry about what happens after? Damn it, if I defeat Voldemort isn't that enough," asked Harry heatedly.

"No it isn't Potter. However much you may want a nice, quiet, normal life, it is not ever going to happen. Dumbledore tried to hole himself up in Hogwarts even though the magical world refused to let him stay hidden in these walls. Merlin and Gryffindor, and other witches and wizards of their caliber, knew they had no choice but to accept the spotlight and do what they could to live their lives while helping the community at large. That's your destiny Potter. If you defeat Voldemort you'll have the power to do great good for the world. If you welsh on the responsibility some new bloke will eventually get it in their head they need to fight a war and kill their enemies. If you're not there showing them the folly of their ways before they get off the ground, you or your kids will be fighting another war in twenty, thirty, or fifty years. And you can bet your bottom galleon the next Dark Lord will look at Voldemort and Grindelwald and use the strengths of both."

Malfoy let Harry think about that for a few minutes before changing the subject. Normally Harry would've appreciated that but he didn't much care for Malfoy's new conversation of choice. "Now tell me what happened between you and your mother Potter."

Harry sighed and told him everything that happened after Defense. Malfoy had he decency not to interrupt but Harry could tell he was think how to tell Harry he had been a prat. He'd be polite about it but the message would be the same.

"So," he said as he finished, "you're going to tell me what a prat I am aren't you?"

"Potter, I understand your decision and on the whole I agree with it. Not your actions mind you and I'm concerned your first thought was to wipe their memories. But your fear is understandable."

"All right then. So why is Lily mad at me?"

Malfoy snorted softly. "Potter, there are times you can be just as dense as Weasel King. I understand your decision because I know the truth. I know what happens in the future and so I can guess what would happen if Peter learned the truth. But your mother doesn't have that privilege. She _doesn't _know what happens that night so she doesn't understand why Peter can't know anything. She only sees you resorting to shady methods to keep a secret, a secret she desperately wants you to reveal to your father, and possibly Sirius and Remus."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"As far as I can see Potter you either keep her in the dark, which will keep her angry with you. Or you need to tell her the truth. Everything that happens after she graduates that you can recall. That is the only way she'll understand why you can't trust Peter."

"But she won't trust Peter either! She'll fight to keep Sirius as the secret-keeper or else convince James to use Dumbledore. I don't what will happen to me but I'm willing to bet I'll be safe and Voldemort goes after Neville. I can't do that to Frank, Alice, and Neville."

"Potter you jumping to conclusions. First you can't know Lily will stop James from using Peter. You're also assuming Peter becoming secret-keeper was something Lily knew about from the beginning. James, Sirius, and Peter could've have done it secretly. Dumbledore never knew after all. Second, even if she does something to block the secret-keeper switch, you underestimate the depths to which Voldemort will go to learn the truth. You're the one like him and he isn't likely going to surrender just because it's harder to get to you. After all, it took a year for him to finally attack you. Dumbledore had you and your parents protected well before that."

"No, even if Peter isn't the secret-keeper, Voldemort has ways to circumvent the Fidelius. I can think of one way off the top of my head."

"What is it?"

"He could use memory walk to 'steal' a memory or memories from Peter. It may kill Peter but Voldemort wouldn't care. If he has the memories of James or Sirius or Dumbledore telling him about Godric's Hollow, since technically they're Peter's, he could get through the wards. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't his plan all along until Peter became secret-keeper. He may have spent the year trying to isolate Sirius or Remus. Dumbledore could've used the Fidelius to protect them, keeping them safe when not at the Ministry. Until he could steal their memories he'd be stuck."

"But how could Voldemort steal a memory? Is it like taking memories out for a pensieve?"

Malfoy shook his head. "I'm not an expert in legilimency; I read about it in books from the Malfoy and Back family libraries. But memory walking is a very advanced application of legilimency. The invader, in this case Voldemort, would steal actual memories from the victim's mind. It's not like reading their mind. The memories are not your own, just a photocopy. But memory walking, if I understand it correctly, is actually physically ripping the memory from their mind and taking it as your own. It would seem to me this is a way to bypass the Fidelius because technically Voldemort would have a memory all his own of James telling him where he and Lily were hiding."

"All right, that makes sense. But you didn't answer my question: is that like a person removing a memory and putting it in a pensieve?"

"No. That is the willful separation of a memory from a person. There is no mental, physical, or spiritual trauma. But having the memory forcibly removed by an invader can kill because it is so traumatic."

"But none of this makes sense. Even if the memory walk thing is possible, why did Voldemort wait more then a year to try and kill me? Why not come as soon as I was born?"

Malfoy shot to his feet, pacing back and forth in front of Harry. "It makes perfect sense Potter. The prophecy was made before you and Neville were born; my guess is at least six or seven months. It needed to be made before because your parents and Frank and Alice still needed to escape Voldemort three times. Suppose five couples became pregnant in October 1979, all of them have escaped Voldemort once or twice. Dumbledore will put them under surveillance straight away. In a couple of months two couples have escaped Voldemort three times. The other three will be kept under surveillance for show but the other two will be protected with the best spells and wards he knows without drawing suspicion. Dumbledore may go so far as to use polyjuice to stage the other three escaping Voldemort to throw him off the scent. That will slow him down and give Dumbledore time to protect the two real candidates."

"Given the choice between the Longbottoms and your parents, Dumbledore will identify your parents as Voldemort's target. Besides the Longbottoms are protected in Longbottom manor while Voldemort has invaded Potter manor once already."

"Christmas night," Harry said softly.

"Exactly," said Malfoy, nodding. "So even now it is clear your parents are the parents in the prophecy. The decoys will only work for so long until Voldemort finally marks your parents and you for death. In fact, with what you told me about Peter the decoys probably don't work at all. Remus said he was spying for a year before that night. Safe to say anything he knew about the decoys, if he knew anything, went straight to Voldemort."

"But what if he didn't know anything? Dumbledore may not have known who was spying but he said himself he was suspicious of all the Marauders."

"The only thing that buys Dumbledore is time. It doesn't really change anything. One way or another Voldemort is going to find a way to try and kill you. If the rat doesn't betray your parents someone else will." Malfoy shook his head. "I'm sorry Potter. None of this really matters I suppose. I'm actually surprised you haven't yelled at me yet. This whole time we're talking about your parents dying. But I hope this shows you that there is really no reason not to tell you mum everything. I'm very sorry to say this but it won't change the fact that Voldemort will kill your parents and try to kill you. But it is something she needs to hear."

Harry violently shook his head, the full force of what Malfoy was saying hitting him for the first time. "How can I tell my own mum when and how she's going to die? How can I tell her no matter what she does she'll never see her son grow up?" Harry started crying. "Why would she even want to have me? Better never have a kid and live your life."

Malfoy kneeled in front of Harry and unceremoniously slapped him hard across the cheek. "Get a grip Potter! Do you honestly think anything you say will convince Lily to stay celibate with James? Are your so thick you'd think that after showing her the memory of you as an infant and after everything that has happened since you arrived in this time that she would ever…_**EVER **_regret having you? If you do I'll take back what I said about you being as thick as Weasel King. In fact I'll apologize to him because he could never be that thick."

He sat down next to Harry, visibly trying to reign in his anger. "Potter I have no idea why fate sent you here. I suspect someone wants you to rectify certain wrongs in the world. But I do know why the Mistress gave you this Room and gave you the portrait room. And no, it has nothing to do with you requesting it. She wants you to find peace in your life. But to do that you have to make tough decisions and learn some terrible spells. The night is always darkest just before the dawn. But your dawn is coming Harry. Before it comes you need to acting like such a martyr. I've told you that before and you've been getting better. But what you just said makes me think you've learned nothing. Your mother _loves _you, even though technically she hasn't had you. You've shown her just what a good man you will become and even if it isn't the 'normal' way, she's had a hand in raising you over the past few months. You have to be honest with her. You owe her that much."


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 28

The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is located in the south of France, thirteen miles north-northeast of Montpellier. A beautiful, marble and stone palace, the school glowed brightly, light surrounding the palace shining for all magical people to see. It was unplottable and protected by nearly as many wards as Hogwarts. The primary difference is many of the French wards were more exotic but noticeably weaker because the builders overestimated their ability to cast the wards.

Lord Voldemort hardly cared. With Potter gone and the Ministry still outside his control, Voldemort needed followers and he also needed to isolate Britain from her strongest ally on the continent. He was taking a very large gamble tonight but if it worked France would break ties with Britain and the world would see just how powerful he and his followers were.

"Milord, all is in readiness," whispered Lucius Malfoy, his voice altered. Voldemort swept past him and surveyed the area. All the wards he wanted were in place. After they were done they could escape and the wards should contain the worst of the devastation.

"Get in position Lucius," Voldemort snapped. When Lucius was in place, the Dark Lord held out his wand and took a few calming breathes. He had only done this spell once and it nearly cost him his life and the lives of everyone with him. He could not afford to "die" again. "My loyal Death Eaters, tonight we unleash a weapon that will bring the world to its knees. Never again will people question the might of Lord Voldemort and his loyal army of Death Eaters. Failure is not an option. Anything less then complete concentration on the task at hand will kill us all." Voldemort paused to let the message sink in—and give him time for a couple more calming breathes. "On my mark begin the chant."

The Dark Lord shot green sparks with his free hand and the chant began.

"_Per vox of abyssus , ego dico super animus of damno. Effrego vacuus vestri vinculum. Iunctum per meus socius quod ego ut nos nisi infinitus vox of mens in is specus of iniustus. Orior oriri ortus continuo quod nisi abyssus vos have been vis permitto per in insons insontis quod naive. Vestri hora of ratio est hic. Vado per nos quod vindicatum vestri ultionis."_

For a few minutes nothing happened. But the Dark Lord's wand and eyes never wavered and his followers followed his lead. Finally, after ten minutes the walls of the castle started collapsing in on themselves, the shattering of glass and marble crashing across the plains. What felt like the most powerful vacuum in the universe sucked in the air, trees, and anything else not bolted down. As the castle was destroyed, a strange red bubble with holes started growing. Green mists of gas were flying through the orb, easy to see. The sounds of terrified screaming joined the other cacophony of sounds.

Through it all Voldemort held his wand and focus. The bomb needed to be powerful and he did not think it was there yet. Once the castle was gone the suction was almost too much to bear. In the space of thirty seconds five Death Eaters were sucked in to their death. He ignored the loss. When the oblong orb was at least fifty feet tall and thirty feet wide he dropped his wand. "Get out now! The wards will trap you in soon! Get out now!" Voldemort watched his followers leave. He held back and cast a Dark Mark, watching to make sure it did not get sucked in. He disappeared in the nick of time; the pressure was tighter then normal because the wards were closing the hole to transport through.

Voldemort reappeared five miles away, just outside the wards he inspected before starting the ritual. There was still suction but it was minimal. In the distance he could see the orb explode, waves of magical energy beating against the wards with an almost inhuman level of strength. For a fearful second he was afraid they wouldn't hold. And he was right but the force to break through the wards significantly weakened the blast. He was safe.

Everything inside the wards was destroyed. Trees, stone homes, animals, and whatever else was vaporized. Because he contained the blast, the entire five-mile radius was ground zero. There was nothing standing except for the red orb. Inside that orb were the souls of every staff member and the few students in the castle at the time of the blast. There they would stay for an eternity, forever being tormented by the power of the dark side.

He had purposefully arranged to destroy the school when few students were there. If he destroyed hundreds of children it was a safe bet France would fight harder then ever. And that doesn't even include the international outpour.

But this was different. They knew what he was capable of. Perhaps the next time he would level Paris. It would never happen but the people would be so scared they would demand France neutrality and severing ties with Britain while Voldemort was still active. At least that was what he was hoping. And a show of power like this would draw crazy, violent, depraved, criminals to him like moths to flames. Those type of people respected power and a show of this magnitude would also show them that Voldemort would not hold them back if they wanted to kill while under his employ.

Time would tell if this would be successful. When the Dark Lord spun on his heel and disappeared, he was confidant it would work out as he planned.

* * *

Harry slept on and off throughout the night in the Room of Requirement. In his mind he tried to think of ways he could tell the truth to his mum. Well, he really only had one option unless he wanted to lie. Still, how could he tell her that her death was inevitable?

A terrible pounding coming from the portrait room rudely woke him up. "What the bloody hell is going on?" He stumbled over to the portrait room and found the portraits of Fred, George and Remus walking around the most thoroughly destroyed tract of land Harry had ever seen. They wouldn't be able to hear him but he could listen to them talking.

"Sweet Merlin Moony," said George. "When Kingsley told us it was emergency, I never thought for a minute it would be this bad. What the bloody hell happened here?"

"Voldemort destroyed Beauxbatons last night. Thankfully there were only a few people, mostly staff, in the palace at the time. But it is gone. All that is left is that orb and Kingsley's connections in the French Ministry won't tell us what they think it is. It must be bad though. When you get closer, you can hear very faint screaming as the green mist swirls around."

Fred started hiking closer, walking carefully as the heat from the blast had melted everything into a crude glass. "I've never seen anything this destructive. I don't even think the muggles have anything this destructive."

"Actually they have something close, though not as powerful," said Remus, catching up to the twin. "It's called an atomic bomb. They can level anything within ground zero of the blast but not this completely. Sturdy buildings can survive. Obviously that isn't the case here."

"Is the French Ministry telling you anything," asked George.

Remus frowned. "An old friend of Dumbledore, Jeanette Amarante told me that the French Ministry is strongly considering breaking off diplomatic ties with Britain until Voldemort is defeated. News of the destruction has spread far and wide and the Ministry owlry in Versailles has already been enlarged three times to fit all the letters. The Minister is receiving three howlers every ten minutes. It's a mess and the bomb only went off a few hours ago."

"How can they just quit? We're having trouble defeating him with their help. If they walk away we're screwed and once we're out of the fight he'll turn to the continent."

Fred nodded. "How can they be so bloody blind?"

"They may have no choice. They're a democracy just as we are. The people, including many in the government, are afraid next time Voldemort won't hold back. Remember he spared the students. If the French keep fighting maybe next time Versailles or Paris go up in smoke."

Fred snorted. "Come off it Moony. Voldemort caught them with their pants down. There's no way in hell he could level a city now."

"You know that and I know that but the people across the country don't. All they see is this weapon hanging over their head and they'll do whatever they have to do to save their skins. I can't blame them, not really. They're not soldiers and they're not trained to think about matters of war. In an ideal world you two wouldn't either. In time they may wise up but that may take months. Until then France is out of the fight. The only thing that could bring them back is if Dumbledore comes back from the grave or Harry…is found." Remus looked around to make sure no one was listening."

"Then we need to hope he comes back soon. Without help Voldemort's life is easier."

"There's more," Remus said, causing Fred and George to groan.

"What else has gone wrong," they asked.

"I received a message from an acquaintance in the Czech Republic. Voldemort has put a bounty on Harry's head. What's more he says Harry is in Britain. If bounty hunters want to collect the bounty they need to hunt for Harry in Britain. He's also promised to put bounties on other people to keep them busy. Hundreds of bounty hunters from Europe will be pouring into Britain and who can say how many more from Asia, Africa, and the Americas."

"And those bounty hunters will also be soldiers-for-hire," cursed George. "Damn Voldemort. We need Harry back."

"We just need to have patience. He'll be back soon. Until then I think the Order needs to put more pressure on Voldemort in Britain. He should not be able to afford side missions like this. And I think we need to send envoys to China, Japan, Oceania, and the Americas to persuade them to send help. Even galleons will help. If we can buy off the bounty hunters that works to our advantage."

The twins only nodded. The trio reached the giant orb and Harry could hear the screaming. It was soft, almost on the edge of perception, but it was audible. And even if his friends didn't know what was inside the orb, Harry knew at once what was trapped inside.

Voldemort's bomb had trapped the souls of everyone killed in the blast inside the orb. If their screams were any indication, they were being tortured. Voldemort and his followers had done what all of Harry's books said was impossible: they created a thought bomb _without _killing themselves in the process.

"I have to get back soon," he said, all thoughts of his mum temporarily driven from his mind.

_I'm sorry for this ridiculously short update. I wrote this at school during the week and it was supposed to be attached to the end of chapter 27 but I forgot to put it in. I don't want anyone to miss it so I posted it as a new chapter._

_Thank you to everyone reading and please review as you have the chance. I truly love to hear from each and everyone of you._


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

_**Special Note 2: I changed the prophecy slightly. Instead of "neither can **_**live **_**while the other survives", it is "neither can **_**die**_** while the other survives." I'm not the first to make this change I'm sure. I know of one other author who made this change, in the story **_**Partially Kissed Hero**_**. My rationale is essentially the same. I never understood how Rowling could use live and survive. Obviously that isn't true because during Harry's life Voldemort was alive, if only just. And after he regained his body both were living, technically speaking this should not have been possible. If you don't agree, my apologies. It doesn't strike me as a significant enough change to be an issue but it is one I wanted to make.**_

Chapter 29

_Congelare freddo _Harry thought, waving his wand in a small arc. Everything in range of his arc froze solid. Had he been fighting an opponent, they would've had no chance to defend the curse. He was so preoccupied though; he hardly cared. He lifted the curse and moodily holstered his wand.

"What's the matter Mr. Evans," asked Professor Sindri. "You did an outstanding job." She eyed him knowingly. "Woman troubles."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Not exactly Professor."

"Anything I can help with," she asked nicely.

"No. I'll be fine Professor. Here, I'll work on the spell." He took out his wand but before he could cast the spell again she grabbed his hand.

"Don't bother Nathan. You've clearly got it down pat. In fact, I doubt there's any spells I can give you that you won't be able to perform flawlessly with a minimum of practice." She looked thoughtful. "Tell you what. You watch the class for me for a few minutes. I need to run up to my office. Odds are you'll be able to help this bunch better then I could." Without waiting for a reply, she left.

Harry walked through the class, careful to avoid his mum, just as he avoided Cho when he first started the D.A. She didn't seem to notice. Of course, she, James, and Severus were the next tier after him so they really didn't need any help. Harry helped a few other students, and two of them could perform the spell very well just as Sindri returned.

"Here Mr. Evans," she said, thrusting two small books in his hand.

"What are these?"

"Books Evans. Duh!" She smiled when he scowled. "Since you've seemed to master every spell I've taught you, and no doubt many more besides if your actions in Diagon Alley and at Potter manor are any guide, you probably know more spells then I do myself."

While that was probably true, Harry shook his head. "I'm sure that's not the case Professor."

"Quite sandbagging Evans. You're terrible at it. And that's not just me talking. Moody says the same thing. But even though you could thrash most witches and wizards with ease, I suspect you're rather limited when it comes to magical theory. That's where these books come in. I want you to read them and work on the meditations and mental exercises."

"Where should I start?"

She pointed to the bottom book. "Start reading this book. I'm still learning myself, but this book will show you how to connect with your magical core, unlocking your full potential and power. This is the key to effective wandless magic, something all but the most learned witches and wizards can do. Learn to see and feel the world through your magic. This will be a difficult process; again, I myself am still learning. But you'll know you're making progress because you'll almost start to hear your magic talking to you. It's a surreal experience."

She patted him on the shoulder and moved back to the students. Harry pocketed the books, his intrigue slightly tempered when he noticed Lily covertly looking at him. Plucking up some courage, he walked over to her. "Lily, can I talk to you. Tonight."

She eyed him with more then a little scorn but nodded. "Fine. I'll meet you tonight at the usual place." With that she turned her back on him, returning to the lesson. Harry walked away, not wanting to upset her.

* * *

After Defense, Harry spent the rest of his afternoon practicing spells for his Transfiguration and Charms exams tomorrow. He needn't worry but it paid to practice and he didn't think he was in a sound enough state of mind to start Sindri's work yet.

He was become a near expert at silent magic. Maybe 80% of every spell he knew he could perform silently. The few he couldn't were very advanced and he could perform them silently but they were very, very weak. If he was in a battle he could probably perform them effectively silently but that wasn't enough, not for him.

He ate his dinner in Ravenclaw Tower, asking a house elf to serve him because he was "sick." He really didn't want to eat in the Great Hall, craving more alone time to think about just what he was going to tell his mum and how. As the minutes passed, he became more and more nervous.

At 7:15, Harry left the dorm and headed off to the Room of Requirement. A door was already there, so Lily must have been waiting already. But when he walked in, he froze. Lily wasn't alone. She had brought James, Sirius, Remus, and (God Damn It!) Peter.

"Even Nat. So, what's this Lily tells us you want to say," asked Sirius.

_Of all the damn things…can't I have one thing go easy in my life? Just once! _Harry looked up at the ceiling, begging for some help. Quite suddenly, the Marauders fell asleep and Lily's wand flew from her back pocket into Harry's hand.

"What just happened," Lily snarled, eyes flashing dangerously.

Harry held up his hands in silent appeal. "Lily, I didn't do a thing. I swear. The Room put them to sleep and sent me your wand. I'm not sorry. And I have to ask just what the bloody hell you were thinking bringing them. I wanted to speak with you _privately_."

Lily huffed. "You can talk with me _after _you tell them who you are." She sat down, arms crossed, staring daggers at him. "If you can't do that, we have nothing to say."

"Mum, for God's sake, I asked you here tonight to tell you you're going to DIE," he screamed. Then he realized what he just said and nearly feinted. Lily seemed too shocked to speak, opening and closing her mouth though no words were coming out. Harry went over, sat down next to her, and set his hands on hers. "Mum, I need to tell you something," he said, rather lamely after what he just yelled out.

"What do you mean you're going to tell me I'm going to die," she asked, feeling her body with her free hand. "Unless I'm very much mistaken I'm safe here. Unless you plan to kill me." At least she seemed shocked out of her anger.

Harry wished he could charm away his emotions. But not spell or potion had been invented that could do that yet. Maybe that was for the best. "Mum, I want you to know exactly why I wiped Remus' and Sirius' memories. But it's hard for me to say." He fell silent, fighting back tears that threatened to well up in his eyes.

"Start from the beginning," she said simply, patting his hand now. "Whatever you have to say, I promise not to interrupt."

"That's not what I'm afraid of," he mumbled but Lily ignored that. "Mum, I haven't been completely honest with you about some things. Like what happened after you graduated or after you and dad had me." He paused, head hanging. He almost wished she would prompt him, or better yet storm out. But she just sat and waited.

"Some time after you graduate you and James will get married. I know I already told you that but it is the best place to begin. Either before you're married or after Dumbledore will induct you into the Order of the Phoenix, his secret group to fight the Death Eaters. You two will become prime targets of Voldemort's, though I suspect you already are."

"While you're doing that, Severus Snape will join the Death Eaters. I don't know how or why he is recruited so young but he is."

"Severus really becomes a Death Eater," she asked, eyes full of sadness. "I can't believe it," she gasped when he nodded.

"We'll get to that later but yes he becomes a Death Eater. Anyway, between your graduation and my birth in July 1980, you and James will escape Voldemort's wrath three times." Harry paused, a realization suddenly hitting him. "No, you'll escape him twice. You escaped him once already once, this past Christmas."

Lily looked confused. "Why does it matter that we've escaped him three times before you're born?"

Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself to say what needed to be said. "Before I'm born, and I don't know how long before but I'm guessing at least six months, a prophecy will be made concerning Voldemort. It goes like this: _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can die while the other survives_."

Harry paused to let her process the prophecy. She looked slightly, or more then slightly, green. Harry could hardly blame her. This had to unnerve her more then it did him when he had first heard it. "So you're…you're the baby?"

Harry nodded. "I am, though I didn't have to be. There were two boys it could have applied to but Voldemort chose me…chose us because you're not a pureblood. Like Voldemort, I'm a _mudblood_." Harry sneered at the last word but Lily understood.

"But how did Voldemort know about the prophecy?" Before he could answer, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Sweet Jesus, it wasn't Severus was it?"

Harry nodded. "Snape heard the first part, about the month. He didn't hear the rest. What he would've have done if he had I'm not sure." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, we'll talk about Snape later. You can figure out the prophecy yourself for the most part. By attacking me, and failing of course, Voldemort transferred some of his powers to me, or at least gave me a copy of them because clearly he still has the powers himself."

"But what about the 'power the Dark Lord knows not?' What power is that?"

"As far as I know it is love. Voldemort knows more about the Dark arts then any witch or wizard alive, maybe more then any one person in history. He also knew a great deal about Light side magic. But he hated that magic, thought it was weak. He hates love, kindness, and anything good. Because I don't, I have an advantage on him, if only a small one."

"As for the last part, I'm the only person who can defeat Voldemort and vice versa. His actions have inexorably tied our fates together. We can kill each other or we can kill ourselves. Nobody else can kill us though. I guess that could mean our war could last forever but I'm not sure. Dumbledore said divination is a shaky art; so much depends on Voldemort and I. If he could somehow just give up the fight we could live in peace or maybe we'd die naturally. But that isn't going to happen."

Lily looked like she was processing way too much at once. Harry could hardly blame her if she felt overwhelmed. But now that he had started, he could not stop halfway. And they were reaching the toughest part. Stroking her hand, he made she he had her complete and undivided attention before continuing.

"Once I was born, he knew I was the child in the prophecy. He worked hard to protect all three of us. For reasons known only to Voldemort, it took a year for him to attack. Finally, a spy betrayed us and gave Voldemort the location of our hiding place. He was our secret keeper…"

"Dumbledore protected us with the Fidelius Charm," yelled Lily in surprise. "But none of our friends would've betrayed us."

Harry's head started hurting him a little. He shook his head, easing the pain. "Someone you and James thought was a friend betrayed you. Actually he had been betraying the Order for a year. Maybe Voldemort was waiting until he was sure the spy could be trusted before moving in."

"Who was the spy," she asked quietly, gripping his hands tightly.

"Wormtail." Harry's head started pounding much harder. He waved his wand over his head, easing the pain slightly but not eliminating it. "Wormtail became the secret keeper. He and Sirius convinced James it should be Peter instead of Sirius. Voldemort would never suspect Peter after all." Harry scowled. "Imagine how great the bloody bastard must have felt when he delivered Voldemort the Potters."

Lily wrenched her hands free, her eyes flashing dangerously. Before Harry could stop her she pulled her wand out of his pocket. "AVADA KEDVRA!"

"No," Harry yelled, banishing Peter wandlessly and silently before the killing curse connected. Lily's killing curse was so powerful it blew a crater about three feet deep and five feet in diameter in the stone floor. Turning her rage on Harry, she banished him across the room. Actually she blew him halfway across the freaking room with the smallest flick of her wand. He landed hard on the stone floor, shattering his shoulder. But the pain was nothing compared to the earthquake in his head.

Once again memories foreign yet so familiar to him flashed before his eyes. He was young, maybe six or seven. Petunia was telling about how, on April 16th, 1982, his parents were murdered in their home, ten minutes before midnight and Good Friday. She didn't know all the facts—Dumbledore hadn't told her everything mostly because he didn't know himself—but they died defending him. A spectacular duel was supposed to have occurred because Voldemort's body was found heavily damaged. Back checking on Lily's wand showed she had put up a hellacious fight before being killed.

The memories swirled and Harry found himself in Dumbledore's office, now maybe 12 or 13. Dumbledore was telling him how Sirius Black had betrayed his family; as secret-keeper he gave away their location. Harry didn't believe a word of it and sure enough the memories swirled again and Harry was in Grimmauld Place with Sirius. His godfather, in a cruel twist of fate, had survived a memory walk administered by Narcissa Malfoy. But she had done a spotty job and Sirius still retained the memory. Unfortunately this was enough to convict him when he was found in his apartment after the Potters' murder. Since the memory hadn't been properly removed, no one could prove what had happened. He was secret-keeper and only he could talk about Godric's Hallow.

* * *

A rush of cold water jolted Harry awake. "Son of a bitch," he exclaimed. Then he realized he was healed and still in the Room of Requirement. Then his mind went to Peter. "Sweet Merlin Lily, what did you do to Peter?"

Lily clicked her tongue. "The bugger's alive if that's what you're asking," she said dismissively.

"Wait, you didn't kill him?" She shook her head. "Then how in blazes…how come nothing changed in the future," he said quickly, not wishing to say anything more. Draco, damn him, had been right. Even with Peter effectively out of the picture, Voldemort still found a way to set the prophecy in motion.

Lily looked three parts furious, one part sad. "You mean James and I still die," she said morosely. She fell on Harry's chest, crying hard. Harry stroked her hair, crying himself. But it wasn't all bad and he had to tell her that. He wanted to grow up with her but obviously some things had improved. Petunia was speaking with him, and actually telling him the truth. His grandparents would be there for most of his childhood. Even Sirius was alive and could spend time with him. Harry wasn't sure yet if his godfather died but it hardly mattered. Regardless of what had happened, Harry would still grow up and orphan and the primary adversary of Lord Voldemort.

"Mum," he said softly. When that didn't work he tried harder. "Mum, I'm sorry. First that you had to stoop to use dark magic on Wormtail but also that it didn't change things. Against Voldemort's determination, I suppose there isn't much we can do. But I'll take care of him in the end."

"Damn it all though," she wailed. "How could taking Wormtail's soul not have done anything? _He _was the spy."

"He wasn't the only spy and there were other things Voldemort could do. Wait, what do you mean 'taking' his soul? Only Dementors can do that. Can't they?"

Lily shook her head. "After you told me about those blasted Horcrux things, I started looking for ways to destroy them. One involves an old charm that is basically the same as a Dementor's kiss. I've never practiced the spell and, till just now, ever though about it. But hearing what he did, I just snapped. You wouldn't let me kill him, which I'm grateful for. But I was still so angry. I did the next spell that came to mind." She buried her head again in his chest. "I'm a terrible person!"

Harry didn't think so and never would. But this told him just how right Draco was. The Dark arts were so tempting. How quickly one can go from rage to insanity. You must have anchors to survive. "Mum, you acted in anger. I've done the same. But the feelings you have now prove you're a good person. If it's any consolation, that night you give Voldemort his share of lumps."

He didn't expect that to cheer her up. And it didn't. She just cried harder. "But I still leave my baby all alone," she wailed. Harry held her through the night, letting her cry until she mercifully fell asleep.

_Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please review. I love to hear from you all._


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 30

Harry woke very early but his mind was already working at full speed. While Lily was still sleeping, Harry set to work modifying James', Sirius', and Remus' memories. Not knowing how far back to go, he decided to play it safe and erased everything that happened after he left dinner. Then he confounded them, giving them the impression they accidentally ate one of their prank products and were sick. It was spotty but as long as they didn't remember ever setting foot in the Room of Requirement with Lily and, most importantly, Peter last night, everything would be fine.

When he was satisfied with their memories, he requested a passage to the Gryffindor 7th year dorm. His dad and his friends were the only 7th year boys so he didn't need to worry about secrecy.

Or so he thought when he requested the tunnel.

Asleep in Sirius' bed, or course, was a young, beautiful witch. Harry couldn't even imagine why she would stay in his bed without him but Harry needed to make a few snap changes to her memory and to Sirius'. Blushing as he worked, Harry hoped he created realistic enough memories for the both of them. Harry had no experience in those matters and had to work off the stories James and Sirius liked to tell.

Creating those memories did take his mind off of Peter for a little while. But once he was back in the Room of Requirement, he needed to deal with Peter. But what could he do with the traitor. He couldn't leave him in the dorm; everyone would wonder what the bloody hell happened when he never woke up or never said anything. And while Harry wasn't 100% certain, he was reasonably confidant Dumbledore or the Ministry would eventually link the tragedy to Lily.

Leaving Wormtail in some little chamber had its appeal, but Harry couldn't stomach leaving someone to die. Wormtail needed help if he was going to survive. But there was no magical person who could help them without running the risk of Dumbledore finding out.

Then Harry had an idea. Perhaps there was no magical person he could leave Wormtail with, but there were plenty on muggle institutions that dealt with mental abnormalities. But it would still have to be a muggle facility in a country with no direct ties to Britain.

As he was thinking of countries, a clipboard appeared on his little desk. Curious, he picked it up and read through the papers. It was new information about Peter, a new name and everything. More importantly, it was charmed to the muggle who read the information would file it away after taking Peter in. No chance of Dumbledore or the Ministry learning what happened. But there was still the issue of what country to leave Peter.

After a few minutes deliberating, Harry settled on, quite randomly, on Switzerland. In his muggle classes in primary school, he knew the Swiss liked to isolate themselves from everyone else. He hoped that would help the anonymity would keep Peter a secret.

He scrawled a note for Lily, transfigured Peter's clothes, and made a few cosmetic changes to his appearance. Then he disillusioned Peter and levitated him out a different passage, one that would take them to Hogsmeade and out of the anti-apparating wards. Owing to the early hour, there were few people on the streets in Hogsmeade. Harry had no trouble now making himself invisible and disappearing with _crack _with Peter.

It was an hour ahead in Switzerland but still early enough that there were few people on the streets. Harry, having no idea what cities were in this country, was immensely relieved to arrive in the right country. He took Peter around the country, more or less at random, until he found a major city. After ducking down a dark alley, he lifted the charm making him invisible and also the charm on Wormtail. As delicately as he could, he carried Wormtail up to a hospital and through the doors.

"Bonjour," said a very pretty nurse sitting behind a desk. "Que que puis-je pour vous? Se que c'est tort à votre amie?" Harry frowned and shook his head, wishing he had Hermione with him now.

The nurse tried again. "Wie könnt ICH abhelfen Sie? Welches ist verkehrt mit ihrer Bekannter?" Harry shrugged his shoulders again and handed her the charmed paperwork. One look did wonders; her eyes briefly glazed over and then she walked around and sat Wormtail in a wheelchair and led him away. Harry smiled, grateful this part of the job was over, and left.

The sun was starting to rise, a beautiful sight as he watched the light creep over the mountains. A small part of Harry wanted to stay for a little while and enjoy the scene but he needed to get back to Hogwarts as soon as he could. When he spotted an opening, he turned on his heel and returned to Hogsmeade.

* * *

_One Hour Ago_

Lord Voldemort stood atop a little slope about a mile outside of Hogsmeade. The little village looked very peaceful in the morning twilight. Voldemort couldn't give a knut's worth if it was peaceful though; he cared more that they were unprepared for an attack.

"Master, are you sure it was wise to bring so many…_unproven_ people here today," asked the Death Eater on his left. 99.9% of his Death Eaters would be inviting death if they asked him such a question but Bellatrix was special, more powerful and bloodthirsty then most of the fools that followed him. He could treat her with more respect without losing face.

"Bella, they are vitally important to this mission," he answered in a soft hiss. "They must prove they are willing to destroy the lives of anyone who gets in their way or in the way of their objective, even so-called innocent people." An evil glint sparked in his eye. "Besides, they are a great human shield, protecting my loyal Death Eaters from harm." He carefully hid a smile; his most loyal Death Eaters were no less a human shield. The only difference was that they protected _him_ from harm.

As he expected, his answer pleased Bellatrix and she resumed her place on his left, awaiting his command. Voldemort waited until his mark burned five times, telling him everyone was in place except for one group. They must have needed to move into their second position. That was fine. Second positions were not far from the first and the most important aspect of this mission, at least early on, is secrecy.

"Bella, Lucius, Rabastan, McNair, on my mark," the Dark Lord hissed and raised his wand. "1…2…3. _Folie brume_!" A rolling cloud of innocuous looking gray gas blew towards Hogsmeade. Even down wind, Voldemort could feel the effects from the gas; sweat beaded on his head, his hands felt cold and clammy, and—he quickly raised his hood—a lone tear slid down his cheek as he relived the memories he stole from Morfin, memories of his uncle beating, torturing, and raping his mother.

His Death Eaters were not handling the effects well. When he heard a third wail of despair, he ordered everyone to cast the bubblehead charm or hold their breath, or those who were well adept at breathe control. "Prepare to attack! The curse won't last forever," he screamed, his voice magnified. "Fight ferociously and I'll see you at the gates of Hogwarts." With that, his followers all screamed for the fight to begin, running into Hogsmeade, where screams of terror and despair were starting to rise, audible even over the wind and from the distance.

Voldemort ran with his best, well behind the first wave of attackers. As the moved forward, Bella and Lucius set houses on fire and shot curses or used blasting hexes to bring buildings to the ground. A few dozen reserve fighters, men and women too old for hard fighting, would come forward in a few minutes and create Inferi from the casualties and send them into the fray. For now the people weren't going anywhere.

Hogsmeade was in complete disarray when they caught up with the main force. No houses were left unharmed. Voldemort could tell where some people, despite the mist, were putting up a fight. One such obstruction was about 23 meters north-northeast. The building was strategically placed so his men couldn't advance past without being cut down. It was holding up the advance and needed to come down.

The Dark Lord felt a number of wards and protections around the building, including a number of powerful anti-apparition wards. They didn't stop him from disappearing in a rustle of his cloak and appearing inside the building.

"What the hell," said one of the fighters when he heard the soft _pop_. He would never hear anything again. To sharp, rusted stakes flew through both his ears. With pitiful gurgle, the man was dead before he hit the ground.

Voldemort thought about moving through the building, killing everyone one by one. But there was no time. This place needed to be destroyed now, while Hogwarts was still so blissfully unaware of his presence.

The Dark Lord came to a decision. He holstered his wand and turned into his fearsome basilisk animagus form. With a loud, deadly hiss, he shot through the floors upwards, snapping a few people in half as he broke through the floors, and back down. When he was back on the first floor, he swung his massive frame in a wide circle, destroying the floor. The building collapsed too fast for him to escape. The weight on his new body was almost unbearable.

With a mighty roar, he forced himself through the rubble. How his Death Eaters cheered!

"Enough," he hissed after transforming back to normal. "We do not have much time before Hogwarts realizes what is happening and call the Ministry. I need all of you to cover me!"

His followers fell in all around him as he ran towards the castle. The power radiated in waves, and Voldemort couldn't help but smile. He would not be taking his birthright, not today. But he'd send a message to all the fools who stand against his might and walk away with a sample of the wards protecting Hogwarts. When he was finally ready to take the castle, he'd be ready.

"Milord, are we attacking Hogwarts," asked Lucius.

"No. Find me five wands. Take them from the rubble and the bodies of the dead. Quickly!" Everyone within earshot ran enough. A few seconds later, a small pile of wands lay at his feet. Voldemort held a few, one by one, chanting. Each glowed dimly, all different colors. When he had ten, he waved his wand over the thin air that he couldn't push through. A gray arc popped in existence. The Dark Lord stuck each wand on different spots.

A few seconds later he realized he'd need many more wands. They were storing too much magic all at once. He worked fast, not willing to trust his followers.

He was so engrossed in his work, he didn't notice the sunlight return or feel the powerful rush of wind that vanished his deadly mist. "Milord, I think we are found out," whispered Lucius in his ear, finally pulling him away from his work.

"Impossible," he hissed dangerously. "I still have work to do. Send people out and kill the interlopers until I am finished."

'You're not going to finish," boomed a commanding voice, seemingly from the sky itself. A powerful ball of blue energy smashed into the wards, sending a powerful current of energy all through the wards. The wands attacked to the wards were destroyed and Voldemort, too slow to pull his hand free, was shocked mightily and blasted back at high speed into a shop, the force of his impact collapsing the building.

Harry Potter stared at the building where Voldemort lay, his eyes burning with incredible hatred and indescribable power. He cast a ball of fiendfyre and freezing ice in quick succession, setting the rubble ablaze and creating a freezing ward, containing the fire, at least for a little while. Maybe it would actually kill the monster.

Bellatrix screamed when she realized what was happening to her master. "We need to save him. I can feel our marks fading. The master must not be killed." She set to work igniting the ice ward. A few people joined her while others circled them, thinking they could protect them. Harry snorted contemptuously.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a few dozen Inferi running toward them. His eyes blazed when he saw how many were small children. Did these monsters have no shame? He didn't want to hurt them but they were already dead. And until their physical bodies were killed, their souls would live a horrible kind of half-existence. He was doing them a favor by destroying their corrupted bodies.

A well-placed wall of light stopped them in their tracks. And when he mentally closed the shield, he felt their bodies burn and, when he increased the power, he felt them die. The Death Eaters watching looked scared. Harry did everything while invisible. He couldn't imagine what they were thinking.

He couldn't have cared less. Silencing his movements and heightening his senses, he moved throughout the destroyed village, capturing or summoning people when other Death Eaters were watching. The ones he didn't capture looked terrified. Fear was a powerful weapon, something Voldemort knew very well. It made people do foolish things and opened opportunities to attack that wouldn't normally be open.

As much as he could, he tried to just capture Death Eaters. He wanted to kill many of them, to avenge all the innocent people where were murdered or whose minds were lost in this attack. But he held back, except when they fought to the death. In those cases he was all too happy to oblige. None of the vermin he fought was a challenge, not even close. And when they fought to the death, he did not use a killing curse. Damn Malfoy's warnings to hell, these murderers were not going that quickly. They would suffer before they went.

A few wisely chose to fell of course. Harry was surprised they could leave; he had put up a ward to black apparition by anyone with a Dark Mark. Maybe these fools were more powerful. Or maybe they weren't full Death Eaters yet. Harry suspected it was the latter. Without false modesty, he was confident his wards could hold all but the most powerful Death Eaters at bay.

When he was ready to turn his attention on Bella, he realized they were gone. Where could they have gone? The ice ward was still in place and Harry felt the fire burning hot under the ice.

"You've interfered with my plans too many time boy," hissed a deadly voice from atop a building behind him. Harry turned on his heel and disappeared before a powerful blasting curse turned him into a pile of ash. He reappeared on a different building, behind Macnair. The Death Eater started firing off curses at an incredible rate, trying to overwhelm Harry. But the Boy-Who-Lived was not perturbed. His shields kept him safe and he returned the fire. Their duel lasted for about a minute before a web of green energy trapped Macnair and sent him flying off the building.

Voldemort was not pleased. With a wave of his hand, the web vanished and Macnair disappeared. "That was dark magic boy. I'm impressed. Why don't you join me? There is so much I can teach you. With that power you could be great. Imagine all that we could accomplish together. Or we could destroy in endless battle against one another. Cause the deaths of countless innocents."

"Enough," Harry yelled, silencing Voldemort with a cutting motion. The Dark Lord's eyes widened in shock. "You're going to pay for your crimes Tom. And when you finally die, I'll be there, smiling as your soul burns in the fires of hell for all eternity."

Voldemort snarled and in a flash of light, destroyed the building on which Harry was standing and all the buildings around him except for his own. Having no other choice, Harry jumped onto the building with Voldemort. The Dark Lord looked ready to kill. "Now you will see the true power of the Dark Lord, the most powerful wizard in the world."

Harry spat at his feet. "You're nothing but a frightened little boy, afraid to love because you mother died before you were born and too weak to let a few childhood insults go. You're pathetic." Harry didn't know where the crack about his mother came from but somehow it felt fitting, as if he always knew Voldemort missed his mother.

Voldemort stood speechless for a second but he recovered. With a hiss of rage, he threw himself at Harry, powerful, exotic dark curses flying at Harry almost faster then he could react. He needed to put some distance between himself and Voldemort. A charmed flip and blasting curses separated them but the Dark Lord was dodging all his curses with ease. Even when Harry was sure a curse would hit him, he appeared an inch to the left or right, completely safe. How could he move so fast?

"Calore cerchio!" A lasso of fire shot towards Voldemort, who didn't try to dodge this time. Instead, as Harry hoped, he tried to seize the lasso and turn it on Harry. When the spells connected, Harry sent a rush of magic through his wand, forcibly connecting their wands. Then, with his free hand, he tried to curse Voldemort, who tried to do the same.

As his curses flew, he felt slight pulls on his wand and he realized what Voldemort was doing; the Dark Lord wasn't dodging his curses. He was apparating. Harry couldn't help but respect his prowess. To use apparation in battle took incredible concentration. Harry had something new he needed to learn.

He also needed to learn the mental exercises Sindri told him about. His wandless magic, even in a duel was pathetic. Once Voldemort realized none of Harry's curses were worth anything, he started a barrage of his own curses, all immensely powerful. Now it was Harry's turn to dodge and weave. But when he tried to break the connection with Voldemort, he found he couldn't.

"That's right boy," Voldemort chided. "Two can play you're little game. Unless you wish to throw away you're wand, I have you." A rush of magic and Harry felt himself pulled towards Voldemort. Nothing he could do could break the connection.

The he remembered his old wand, still holstered to his leg. Risking death, he reached down and pulled out his old want. "Adnihilo," he yelled and the powerful blasting hex distracted Voldemort enough for Harry to break the connection. Voldemort was not pleased. "You'll pay for that boy. You haven't the skill to defeat me. But I will kill you in the end."

"No today Tom," said a powerful voice just as Albus Dumbledore appeared beside Harry. The Headmaster pulled Harry behind him, his blue eyes blazing with power as he stared at Tom.

"You can't protect the boy forever Dumbledore," the Dark Lord sneered and disappeared in a rustle of his cloak.

Harry holstered his old wand, feeling oddly inferior. Voldemort was right; Dumbledore couldn't protect him forever. Even with how much more skilled a fighter he was now, he still had much to learn before he was on the same level as Dumbledore and Voldemort, if he ever got to their level.

"Thank you Headmaster," Harry began but fell silent when Dumbledore turned his still blazing eyes on Harry.

"Hold my arm Mr. Potter," he ordered, holding out his arm. Harry nervously grabbed a hold and Dumbledore apparated them into his office. He took a seat behind his desk and Harry took the silent cue, dropping into a seat across from Dumbledore.

"Mr. Potter, where were you this morning," he asked bluntly, his blue eyes piercing him with an intensity he never imagined before. Harry felt no attacks against his Occlumency shields, which he took as a good sign.

"Professor, as I told you before, I'm not here just to learn. I have things I need to do so when I return to my time I'll be better equipped to kill Voldemort," Harry lied easily. "This morning I was in the Room of Requirement with Lily, studying offensive magic when I had an idea as to where Voldemort may have hidden one of his weapons, something he uses to great effect in my time. I left the school to find it, or try to anyway. I was wrong; the weapon was not there, at least not yet."

Dumbledore's eyes never wavered. "And when you returned?"

"When I returned, the Death Eaters were attacking the wards protecting the school. Instinct took over; I vanished the nerve gas they were using to make the people in Hogsmeade insane and fought the Death Eaters, capturing as many as I could. I killed a few that didn't want to give up. I had no alternative."

"You always have a choice Mr. Potter," he admonished. "I never killed my greatest enemy, Gellert Grindelwald. Redemption beats in the heart of every man and woman. You would do well to remember that. You speak much to easily about killing and murder."

"Professor, with all due respect, I know you spared Grindelwald because you were old friends with him. I suspect there was possibly an attraction, at least on your part. That attraction and old friendship makes it harder to kill. I have no such feelings for anyone who follows Voldemort and certainly for Voldemort himself. Tom Riddle is a living embodiment of evil. Redemption is beyond the realm of possibility. The cases are not alike."

Dumbledore looked taken by Harry's knowledge of his feelings for Grindelwald, and by his determination to see Riddle dead. Well, the future Dumbledore would understand; after all, he knew Harry's entire story.

"Is there anything else sir," Harry asked respectfully, deciding to put their disagreement behind them.

The Headmaster looked at him again. "Do you know anything about what happened to Peter Pettigrew," he asked.

Harry had to work hard to keep his expression blank. "No sir. I saw last night with the other Marauders and Lily but not after. Is he not in his dorm?"

"No. He was not there. His friends are concerned. Well Remus is. James and Sirius seem to think he is somewhere goofing off. They seem to remember eating one of their products, feeling sick, and waking up in their dorm. Perhaps Peter wandered off somewhere else after eating the food."

"I didn't know they felt sick last night sir. I'm sorry I can't tell you more."

Dumbledore nodded, eyeing him oddly. "Mr. Potter, I appreciate everything you did in Hogsmeade. You saved the school and many innocent lives. And please remember, I you have anything you need to tell me, any _holes _you'd like to fill me in on, I'm always here." Dumbledore got to his feet and used the floo to go to the Three Broomsticks, leaving Harry to ponder his oblique reference to holes. How much did the Headmaster actually know about Peter?

_I hope you are all enjoying the story. Please review if you have the chance, good or bad. I love to hear from all of you._


	31. Chapter 31

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 31

"So Dumbledore already knows something happened to Peter," asked Lily with a trace of worry in her voice. "How did he find out?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "If I had to guess, the portraits or ghosts, or maybe another student, told him that he saw the Marauders and you coming into the room and not leave. It is hard to explain how no one saw them enter the dorm yet they wake up in their beds as if they'd been there the whole night. I didn't give that part of my plan a lot of thought."

"But why would he think you had anything to do with it?"

"Dumbledore knows we've been using the room, even if he doesn't know exactly why. He also has some idea of how much I've confided in the others and your want for me to tell them everything. Remember I had to talk with him a few days ago after they found me on the Marauders Map. If you five are coming to the room, odds are I'm already there or hot on your heels."

Lily looked sad. For a minute Harry thought it was because of what she did to Peter. But then he realized she was sorry for getting him in trouble for her own moment of weakness. Harry pulled her in for a hug, another one of those surreal moments where he was comforting his mother instead of vice versa.

"Mum, I made the decision while you were asleep how to get rid of Peter. I alone will suffer the consequences, though I don't expect there to be any. Peter's dad is dead and his mum doesn't seem to give a damn about him in the least. He's safe and in good care." Harry lowered his voice, though there was no one around to hear. "And much as I hate to say it, very few people in this castle noticed Peter. Even dad and Sirius aren't particularly upset by his absence. I feel bad about what happened, but given the circumstances, there is nothing we can do but make the best of the situation."

Lily didn't look happy but she changed the subject to something more urgent. "Tell me what happened in the battle this morning."

Harry grimaced the terrible memories and nightmares resurfacing that were wrenched out by that terrible gas. Lily held his hands, soothing his nerves. "After I left Peter, I came right back to Hogsmeade, right behind the Hog's Head where I left this morning. There was a terrible mist or gas blanketing the village. My worst memories and worst fears played in my head in some horrible montage. There were so many people screaming it took me a few seconds to realize I was screaming too. Thank God for Professor Sindri: if she hadn't taught us breath control, I may very well be dead. But I fought the memories and managed to hold my breath long enough to vanish the mist."

"Soon after the mist was gone, the screams stopped. But I didn't have any time to help the suffering. I apparated to the top of one of the shops and knocked Voldemort away from the wards protecting Hogwarts. Two of his Death Eaters, or Death Eaters in training, managed to escape with his wands. He'll know about the wards protecting Hogwarts soon."

Harry shook his head. "Anyway, I thought I trapped him in the rubble of a collapsed building. I even used fiendfyre to burn him to death, and contained it under an ice ward. Somehow he escaped while I was dealing with his followers. I captured eight and killed another three that wouldn't quit. The worst managed to escape: Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and a few others. Then Voldemort and I dueled."

Lily looked terrified that he had to fight Voldemort, clearly fearing for his life. Harry couldn't blame her. "Well, you are getting better at dueling," she said in a futile attempt at jocularity. Her eyes betrayed her concern though.

"I held my own, yes. But Voldemort would've beaten me sooner or later. He didn't expect much from me to begin with so he held back. Once he had some measure of my abilities, he put some effort into the duel. He's a master at the craft, better than I've ever seen, save Dumbledore. It was only when Dumbledore showed up on the roof that he decided that he had had enough." Harry sighed. "I don't know that I'll ever be ready to face Voldemort. He's forgotten more about magic then I've ever learned."

Lily stroked his hair. "You did your best. You're only 17. Only one adult wizard can claim he went toe-to-toe with Voldemort and survived. From everything you've told me, you've done it eight times."

Harry shook his head. "It isn't enough just to come away from the fight alive. Voldemort will never stop pursuing me; never give up until I'm dead. And no matter how much I improve, Voldemort is still superior. I need to get better…"

A loud, insistent siren rang through the room. "Something must be happening to your friends," Lily said. She jumped to her feet a fraction of a second after Harry and followed him into the Room of Requirement.

All of his friends were running around the Room of Requirement, throwing up barricades as someone pounded mightily on the outer doors. "Ron! Ron, what's happening," Harry yelled when he spotted his friend.

"Voldemort's in the castle Harry," three people yelled together. By now everyone was used to seeing Harry, even if only a handful knew his portrait was actually a window into the past. "He just showed up and ran straight to the room. We only just saw him on the map before he started trying to tear down the door."

"Get to work you lot," Ron and Neville yelled. "Don't dither. Harry mate," Ron continued, "I'd love to talk but we're a little busy."

Lily watched the scene, her face showing the same mixture of dread and concern that Harry's face showed. "Harry, do you think you're friends are safe?"

Harry didn't answer. His mind was racing, trying to come up with some idea as to what they could do. But many of his friends were already fleeing, destroying what they could and taking everything else. Hogwarts was too big the room was too brilliant for there not to be at least a few tunnels to safety. But Voldemort would connect the dots once he got in the room.

Then Harry had an idea. "Ron! Damn it Ron, stop for a minute!"

Ron turned, looking furious. "What is it Potter," he yelled. Harry ignored his rage.

"Ron, get Dobby up into the room. Dobby uses it to take care of Winky when she's drunk. The room will become a little closet. Ask Dobby to request this same portrait of me." Harry shook his head. "Just summon Dobby. I'll explain everything to him.

Ron summoned the house elf. Dobby looked ready to cry when he saw Harry's portrait. "Harry Potter is here. Oh Dobby is knowing he wouldn't…"

"Dobby, there's no time. I need you to request this room become the closet where you rehabilitate Winky, with the little bed and everything. Request that this portrait be in the room too."

"Dobby will do as you ask Harry Potter. But who is Dobby to be putting in the bed? There is no sick house elf."

Harry closed his eyes. "Dobby, you need to find the oldest, most sickly house elf on the Hogwarts staff and put them in the bed then leave them."

"Harry," yelled Hermione reproachfully. "Voldemort will kill whatever house elf is left in the room. How _could_ you?"

Before Harry could respond, Lily pushed him out of the way, green eyes blazing. "Don't you yell at Harry, Hermione. Do you think he wants to do this? But the other alternative is Voldemort kills you all. Is that what you want?" Hermione looked steadfast for a second but shook her head in the end.

"Hermione, I am sorry. I wish there was something, anything, else we could do, but Voldemort is not going to stop." He turned his eyes back on Dobby. "I'm sorry to ask you to do this Dobby."

The elf shook his head. "Dobby is understanding Harry Potter." Then the elf dipped his head. "Dobby is hating to say it Harry Potter sir, but the oldest, most sickly elf on the staff is Kreacher." He looked afraid Harry would be upset with him. But Harry was elated.

"That's bloody perfect. I hate the blasted house elf anyway. He loves purebloods so much; let's see how he likes coming face-to-face with the worst kind of bigot. Dobby, you tell Kreacher exactly what he needs to do and that I am ordering you to tell him." Hermione looked disgusted but Harry hardly cared. He hated Kreacher and how he betrayed Sirius. Damn Dumbledore. Kreacher chose to toe the pureblood line; he deserved whatever was coming to him.

Once Dobby returned with Kreacher, his friends all stood back as Dobby requested the closet be placed in front of the room. Because an entranceway into the back room had to be created, Dobby requested one the size of a pea in the highest brick, beyond the reach of any man. Harry's portrait covered the hole anyway, so it was fine. Kreacher, surprisingly, did not put up much of a fight and lay in the bed.

"Good work Dobby. Now you need to get out of here." Dobby bowed and, after one last glance at the banging on the wall, disappeared with a _pop_. A second after the house elf was gone, the door blasted open. Three wands were pointed at Kreacher, looking ready to blast him apart. Voldemort did not have his wand out. His eyes immediately landed on Harry.

"Potter," he hissed.

"Tom," Harry responded coldly. Bellatrix and Narcissa gasped. Behind Voldemort, the Carrows looked confused. "Why are you here?"

"Don't toy with me boy. I have it in my power to murder you're friends. And rest assured, their deaths will be neither quick nor painless."

Harry rolled his eyes, fighting the fear gripping his stomach. "They're smarter then your bunch Tom. You'll never catch them. Besides, what have they done?"

"They are flouting the authority of the Headmaster and his deputies," hissed Voldemort, gesturing towards Snape and the Carrows. "A priceless artifact was stolen from Snape's office at the beginning of term. They tried to fool him with a replica but Snape is not a fool."

"So you're here to retrieve some dusty, old trinket. I'd think you'd be more concerned about the fact that the Ministry is still outside your control and Arthur Weasley is rallying the people against you and the maniacs who follow you." He stared straight at Bellatrix. "And here's the mistress of mania. Tell me my dear, do you still think your master has any affection for you, perhaps even that he _loves _you?"

If looks could kill, Harry would be floating dead in the Hogwarts Lake. "Lord Voldemort cares for all his followers Potter. I am a merciful lord. But that is not why I am here. Your friends must be punished. This resistance must be crushed and example must be made."

Harry mentally sighed. He had been afraid Voldemort had realized Harry was in the past after the duel. Harry made cracks about his name and past that no one except Dumbledore should know. But if he was only here to stamp out a rebellion, everything was fine.

"I told you before Tom, they're too smart for your bunch." Out of the corner Harry noticed Snape sneering at him but there was almost a plea in his eyes. And Harry thought he knew what the Headmaster was trying to say. "Snape is doing the best he can. I know, my friends talk about how bad things are and the cruel punishments the Carrows inflict daily. But as you know, Hogwarts has a mind of its own and is built to protect the students from harm, even against the Headmaster's wishes. Only the Minister and the Board of Governors, working with the Headmaster, can change Hogwarts protections. You only have one piece of that puzzle."

Harry hoped Voldemort would buy his story. Of course, for all he knew it might have been true. He didn't know of any evil Headmasters in Hogwarts history. Sirius' great great whatever was a piece of work but Sirius never said he did anything evil.

"That is not the only reason I am here Potter."

"Oh," said Harry disdainfully.

The Dark Lord smiled. "Oh yes Potter. Tell me, why don't you move to the side and introduce me to your lovely mother. I've only ever met her once, apparently on two different days. And we didn't have much time to talk." Harry gulped and Voldemort laughed. "That's right Potter. I've had my suspicions since Christmas Eve that you were in the past but last night I had a shift in memory as it were. Quite an experience. You've certainly grown more powerful being with your filthy muggle mother."

Harry didn't realize Lily had stepped up next to him. "You can go to hell you monster," she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You'll pay for everything you've done to my son and to the world."

"Perhaps, Miss Evans and future Mrs. Potter (if only briefly)," Harry had to restrain his mother then because she looked ready to throw herself into the portrait. The other Death Eaters laughed at her, which only infuriated her more. "As I was saying, you would do well not to write checks with your mouth that your son can't cash, as the muggles like to say. Even in past, Potter must hide behind Dumbledore's robes."

"You couldn't kill me either Tom, not this morning and not at Christmas. And when I return to the present, I'll show you exactly how much I've learned."

"Empty words Potter. Besides, you have no idea how to return. As far as I am concerned, you are no longer a threat. I've fulfilled the prophecy, even if not in the way I expected." His eyes narrowed maliciously. "However, I am a careful man. To ensure you don't decide to grow a spine and pursue me, I am giving you a warning: Your friends will die if you continue standing against me in the past. I am in control here at Hogwarts, whether you think it or not. Surrender, lay down your arms and your futile resistance I'll spare your friends."

"You really don't understand how this works do you Tom? Even if I promised to do that, which I will never do, that could change the future in ways neither of us can imagine. You may die by someone else's sword."

Voldemort shrugged his shoulders. "I am willing to take that risk Potter. I've taken precautions to protect myself from an attack. If you give up your futile resistance, I'll never be defeated and will continue to impose my dominion over the world. You've been warned. Surrender or your friends die."

"No Tom, you're going to die," yelled Hermione from outside the door. Before any of them could react, a glowing ball of magic shot into the room and the door slammed shut. Tom looked the projectile, cursed, and grabbed Bellatrix and Severus. Then there was a blinding flash and when the light settled, the only signs of life besides Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Severus was charcoal shadows on the ground where the other Death Eaters had been standing.

"Seems to me Tom you may have a hard time killing them. Like I said before, they're smarter then your bunch."

Tom sneered. "This changes nothing Potter. I'll still punish them for their crimes against my minions and my school. But so long as you stop fighting, they will live. And if they swear their allegiance to me, perhaps I will make sure they live good lives."

Voldemort blasted open the door and left, leaving Bellatrix and Snape to catch up with him. The Headmaster spared one last look at Harry. "I'll keep them safe Potter," he whispered quickly and almost inaudibly. And then he was gone.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe what Snape had said. He had lived so long thinking he was just as evil as Voldemort. Now he knew Snape was on their side. He was risking his life daily, keeping up a front for Voldemort that looked loyal but all the while working behind his back.

But even if Snape protected, or tried to protect, his friends, Harry still was woefully unprepared to return to his time. But he needed more help then the room and his parents could provide. And that meant there was only one person to whom he could turn.

After Lily returned to her dorm, Harry showered and changed in the room. He took a few minutes to gather himself too. When he was ready, he walked back to the Headmaster's office.

"Come in Mr. Potter," called Dumbledore as the door swung open. The Headmaster did not look angry anymore; the familiar twinkle not there though, so Dumbledore still must have been a little upset with him. Well, he'd be more then upset soon. "What can I do for you Mr. Potter?"

"Sir, I was wondering if I could talk to you about a few things."

Dumbledore steeped his fingers in front of his mouth. "What is it you wish to tell me?"

"Well sir, first let me tell you a little more about me."

"You haven't told me anything Mr. Potter," he added, which Harry thought, while true, didn't need to be pointed out right now.

But he nodded. "I understand sir. You have to understand this is difficult for me. In my time, you saved me after Voldemort killed my parents and have been there to save me on more then one occasion."

These words seemed to register with Dumbledore and he softened. "Very well Harry. Whatever you are comfortable telling me, I will appreciate."

"Thank you sir. Before I came back in time, Voldemort murdered my parents on Halloween night in 1981. Peter Pettigrew betrayed them; he was their secret keeper but he had been a spy for Voldemort for a year before betraying my parents. He framed Sirius in a roundabout way, and you left me with my aunt and uncle."

"How did you survive an attack by Voldemort?" Then he nodded knowingly. "Your mother died protecting you, most likely giving her life. I sent you with your aunt and uncle because of the blood protection. I understand my decision. It was the best place for you."

Harry scowled. "Not entirely Dumbledore," he said angrily. "They made my life a living hell. I was little more then a slave in their eyes. My uncle and cousin beat me regularly. I've changed some things while I've been here so the worst of the abuse is avoided, but you never once checked up on me in 10 years."

The Headmaster had the decency to hang his head. "I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Potter. I can't defend my actions though. I can't imagine why I would just abandon you. Now, not to change the subject, but does Peter's betrayal has anything to do with his disappearance?"

"It does. Last night, I lost myself when I overheard Peter in the Room of Requirement. He didn't ay anything to set me off but I saw him touching my mum. I don't know what happened but I snapped."

Dumbledore suddenly looked very grave. "Did you kill him?"

Harry shook his head. "No sir. He's alive but he soul is gone. I remembered a spell Voldemort tried to use on you once. It was the first spell I yelled out. That was where I was really at this morning. I dropped Peter off in a muggle health facility to keep him safe and give him the best treatment possible. If it is any conciliation, I feel terrible." Harry was lying that time, though he felt terrible because he mum tarnished her soul; he cared nothing for Peter.

"I'm disappointed in you Mr. Potter but given the circumstances, I can understand where your anger would come from. And I appreciate you sending Peter somewhere safe. He has no family, not really. But if something like this happens again, I will not be so lenient."

"I understand."

"Did removing Peter's soul change the future? I'm assuming no otherwise you wouldn't still be here."

"You're right. Sirius is still blamed but under different circumstances. I did manage to save my grandparents at Christmas, so they'll live until I'm nine. Coupled with Petunia being more human to me, my childhood is not as bad as it was, if that makes any sense."

"Not entirely but I understand. What about your war with Voldemort?"

"It is not going well. This morning he finally realized I'm in the past. He tried to threaten my friends but they can protect themselves and Snape will help them too. But I'm not ready to defeat him once and for all."

"You mean you are not ready to kill him?"

"Professor, I told you before that there is little choice I have in the matter. Voldemort is going to continue hunting me until I am dead. He is beyond redemption and there is little I can do that will defeat him without killing him. You know he is perhaps the most accomplished and wisest dark sorcerer in the world. If it weren't for you, I have no doubt he'd rule the world, or at least the country, by now."

Dumbledore nodded. "I suppose you're right. It just unsettles me that you speak so easily of murder."

"I have no choice."

"That is an easy excuse that has started wars, inaugurated crusades, and saw the birth of genocides. Be careful to hide behind that excuse lest you lose yourself."

"I understand. But I didn't come here for a morality lesson. Sir, I need to protect my friends and defeat Voldemort. You're the only person who can help me prepare for that fight. I need you to teach me more about magic."

Dumbledore stared at him, through him actually. "Mr. Potter, I cannot teach you enough to prepare you to defeat Tom." Harry felt as he'd been punched in the gut. He never expected such outright rejection. But Dumbledore wasn't finished.

"I can still help you. There is an old technique, something I learned when I studied magical energies in China."

"What will you do?"

"I will open your mind so to speak, and insert knowledge into you head. The mental exercises Sindri wants you to practice will still be vital to your success but this should help you succeed. Is this something you want?"

"Of course sir."

"Very well. Come to my office tonight. We need to travel to the Ukraine. I will be bringing a few Professors and Ministry officials. You will need to an invisibility cloak or disillusioned because they will not want you to come with us."

"You sound as if you've already had plans to go to the Ukraine."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I didn't have plans to go tonight. I generally like to make the trip closer in the spring but no one will question my decision. Come to my office tonight at seven. We leave at seven thirty."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Harry showed up early, curious as to where they were going and what Dumbledore would do to help him. "It is good you're here early Harry. Stay hidden and when I grab the floo powder, step into the fireplace, as far back as you can go. You'll travel with me."

"Yes sir." Harry wanted to ask more about where they were going but he bit his tongue and hid in a corner as everyone arrived. Professor Slughorn, McGonagall, and Flitwick were coming as was Mad-Eye and two witches Harry had never seen before.

"Are we ready Albus," asked Moody. "Don't see what the fuss is all of a sudden. Bugger isn't going anywhere."

"I understand that Alastor but I will not have time for an inspection in the spring as I usually prefer. And I will not wait until the fall to see him."

Moody shrugged. "Whatever you like Albus."

Dumbledore nodded and grabbed the pouch of floo powder. "I'll go first. Minerva, please make sure no one steals anything," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Harry carefully walked through everyone into the fireplace. "Nurmengard."

The floo took them to a rundown shack in the middle of nowhere. Then Harry noticed the huge, jet black, skyscraper shooting into the sky. "Professor, what in the blazes is that?"

"Nurmengard."

"What's Nurmengard?"

"The prison my old friend built to hold his victims. Over a million witches and wizards and another three million muggles died inside those walls. Now its old master is imprisoned inside its walls. Now be quiet. The others are coming."

A few minutes later, the troop was walking towards the prison. Harry felt the raw power emanating from the walls. The power magnified tenfold when they passed through the wards protecting the entrance. Everyone with Dumbledore must have made this trip before because they all grabbed torches and followed him up the stairs until they reached the top.

When they reached the summit, Dumbledore waved his wand over the door twice and then held it open for the others. Harry stayed back and wisely so because once they took a few steps into the room the fell asleep. Grindelwald must have already been asleep because he didn't stir. Of course he could've been dead; the room smelled horribly of rotted meat and corruption.

"Sir, why did you make them go to sleep."

"Because that is the only way to perform this ritual. They magical knowledge and abilities will be copied and transferred to you. They will all be left unharmed and their abilities intact. But this isn't normally something people agree to and having them asleep saves me the trouble of modifying their memories later. Memory charms are devilishly tricky to use Harry. If something goes wrong, you can cause serious damage to a person. That is why I was disappointed when you did that to your father and his friends."

Dumbledore pulled up the sleeves of his robes. "Now, I need you to sit perfectly still. This won't work if you're asleep. But you must be calm. This is an incredibly uncomfortable experience."

"You know from experience?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I do. Like you I was very skilled but when I traveled, my masters transferred the knowledge into my head, speeding up the training process."

Dumbledore waved his wand, lining up all the people on the floor on new mattresses. Another wave produced a pillow for Harry. "Are you ready," he asked after took a seat. Harry nodded, feeling a little nervous. "All right. Let's begin."

Dumbledore started chanting, waving his wand over one of the witches he never met before. Harry tried to remember the chant but he couldn't keep up with Dumbledore. Then his vision went black and his head started pounding, as if terrible weight was sitting on top of his brain.

* * *

An hour and a half later, the pain subsided and when his vision returned, Harry was lying on his back. Seeing he was awake, Dumbledore handed him a vial of potion. Harry recognized it immediately from the smell—a powerful rejuvenation potion, taught in the Auror academy.

"My God, I knew what that potion was, just from the smell."

Dumbledore nodded. "You've been infused with the knowledge of two internationally recognized potioneers. Gellert and I are not slouches in that department either. How do you feel?"

"Like my head is full to burst."

"That is normal. You need to be careful casting spells for the next three days or so. You magic is working overtime to compensate for this infusion of knowledge. You're luck you're so powerful; the shock would kill most witches and wizards. I have a portkey that will take you to my office. When you arrive, go see Madam Pomfrey. I'll talk to her when I get back."

_I hope you are all enjoying the story. Please review if you have the chance, good or bad. I love to hear from all of you._


	32. Chapter 32

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my afterward in chapter 11.**_

_As always, please keep reading and reviewing. I look forward to hearing from all of you, be it good or bad. And I apologize for the long layoff. I'm working and looking for a teaching job. I do not have as much time to write as I would like. Thank you all for your patience._

Chapter 32

Four days after Dumbledore imparted the new knowledge to Harry, he was fuming in the Room of Requirement. He couldn't perform any of the new spells that he supposedly knew. What he couldn't figure out was why.

"Blóð tjara," he yelled, his wand pointed at Malfoy. Nothing came out of his wand, despite saying the incantation perfectly. "Damn it to hell! Why can't I do this?"

"It's not enough to just know the incantation Potter, or even to know what theory behind the spell."

Harry scowled. "Well why the hell not? It's always been enough before."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Really Potter. Tell me: when was the first time you saw a killing curse performed."

"In my fourth year, when the fake Professor Moody performed all three unforgivables."

"Is that really the first time you can remember seeing the killing curse Potter?"

"Of course it was." Malfoy didn't say anything, which made Harry rethink when he first saw the killing curse. "The first time I saw a killing curse was when I was a baby and Voldemort tried to use the curse on me."

Malfoy nodded. "That's right. And in your fourth year you finally learned the incantation for the killing curse. But when did you cast a killing curse for the first time, one that actually worked as advertised?"

"After I came back to this time, when I saved Sirius on Christmas Eve."

"So you knew about the curse since you were a baby, having dreams about it before coming to Hogwarts and visions of it after encountering the Dementors. Thirteen years later you had an incantation to go with the curse. Yet it wasn't until your seventh year, after your reached adulthood and survived more hardship, that you could actually perform a killing curse."

Harry finally understood what Malfoy was trying to tell him. "You're saying that just having the knowledge isn't enough; that I need practical experience to make Dumbledore's gift work."

Malfoy nodded. "Right in one Potter. Do you honestly think Granger can perform all the magic about which she has read? Not likely! But as she learns more and builds on her magical abilities, spells about which she previously read are now a regular part of her repertoire. The same will work for you. Start working on Sindri's mental exercises; build a deeper connection with your magic and the magic around you. That will make it easier for you to perform the magic Dumbledore imparted to you."

"I thought this would make me Dumbledore's equal. How else can I defeat Voldemort?"

"Potter, first Dumbledore did the transference this way precisely because he was worried about your intentions."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Dumbledore, this Dumbledore that is, not the one you knew from your time, is much more cynical."

"Why would Dumbledore change over time? And I think you underestimate Dumbledore's cynicism in my time."

Malfoy shook his head. "No, I don't. Dumbledore is by nature a very cynical man. He has been since his sister's accidental murder and death. But after Voldemort's first fall, something happened that tapered his cynicism, caused his old idealism to reassert itself, at least to a degree."

"And what was that?"

"You Potter. I'd imagine before you came to Hogwarts, Dumbledore was the same as he had always been. That was why he never checked on you. Much as I hate to admit it, and much as I'm sure you do not want to think about it, before you came to Hogwarts and Dumbledore saw you, really saw you, for the first time, he thought of you as a tool."

"But before you condemn him, realize that after you came to Hogwarts and he saw you grow and bond with your friends, his attitude changed. He avoided personal relationships really even before his sister died. Her passing just cinched his isolation. But you were a breath of fresh air. In short order, you gave him someone to care about."

"But that doesn't explain why Dumbledore cared about all his students."

"He cared about them Potter, but no differently then Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff cared about their students. He is a great teacher and a great teacher cares about their student. But that is, or can be, a detached affection. His feelings for you are deeper, more meaningful. And this is the first time he has really experienced these feelings in decades."

Harry filed away Malfoy's explanation for Dumbledore's actions, seeing no fault with the logic. But that still left him unsure how to proceed. "I've read parts of Sindri's books but I'm not sure how to start. They speak of _listening to your magical core _and _severing the bonds constricting the flow of magic through your body_. What does that mean?"

Malfoy sat down on the floor, legs crossed. "It means exactly what it says Potter. Here, take a seat across from me." He waited for Harry to sit down, legs crossed. "All right. I'm not an expert at what I am going to teach you, not even close. But as you knew me, I was more skilled at true Occlumency then most people. Credit to my mad hatter Aunt Bella."

"What do you mean true occlumency? Like what Snape tried to teach me." Harry suppressed a snarl, remembering the hell Snape had put him through, all because he was afraid of what Harry would find if he learned too quickly.

Malfoy shook his head. "Snape is a master of mind defense, which is just one branch of occlumency. Now, he may be, and most likely is, well versed in true occlumency. But he tried to teach you mind defense only. Bella taught me the beginnings of true occlumency, as well as true legilimency. We'll get to the latter later. Suffice it to say there is more to both arts then simple mind reading and mind defense."

Harry was confused. "If this is true, why don't I have this knowledge from Dumbledore? I'm sure he knew both arts and was likely a master in both."

"It goes back to what I said before Potter: Dumbledore does not trust your intentions, not completely. He selectively went through what he imparted to you. He is going to watch you, closely. He wants to make sure you're not going to become a greater threat then Voldemort. If you have the patience to learn and exercise you power judiciously, then perhaps he'll help your further. I wouldn't bet the farm on that but it's possible."

"Now, the first thing we are going to do is build up your mental defenses. But we're going to do it a bit differently then Snape's way. Emotions are not the enemy Potter, however much Snape tried to convince you they were. In fact, I believe emotions make you stronger. Controlling those emotions, especially the dark ones…in that lay strength."

"The first thing you need to do Potter is picture a place where you feel truly happy, truly at peace with yourself and the world."

Harry didn't need long to decide the place where he felt most happy was Hogwarts. "That's great Potter," said Malfoy when he told him. "But try to narrow it down. The castle is a large place, too large for this activity."

"How can it be too large?"

Malfoy thought for a second and shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly have no idea. But father and Aunt Bella told me that having too large a place to protect your mind is dangerous. Even Voldemort doesn't use Hogwarts to protect his mind.

"What does he use," asked Harry, curious how Malfoy could know this but deciding not to ask.

"He uses the Slytherin common room to protect his mind. I'm not sure how father and Aunt Bella learned that; it is highly unlikely they penetrated his mind. But they were adamant." Malfoy shook his head. "We need to focus Potter. I want you to think of the place. Go ahead."

Harry thought about his time at Hogwarts. If he had to pick one place in the castle where he felt safe and peaceful.

The library was out of the question. He wasn't Hermione after all.

The Chamber of Secrets, inexplicably, popped up in his mind but he quickly squashed that idea. He didn't think of peace when he thought of Ginny lying dead at the foot of the awful Slytherin statue.

The Gryffindor common room was a possibility. But he never really felt at peace there either, even if he was usually with his friends.

The Quidditch pitch flashed across his mind next and he immediately knew he had a winner. When he was flying, nothing else mattered. Even when Voldemort and his followers nearly killed him in July, he felt more confident in the air fighting Voldemort then he did on the ground.

"I want to use the Quidditch pitch," he said with absolute certainty.

Malfoy smiled ruefully. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You're a natural flyer and one of the best seekers in the world. Okay, now that you have the place, I want you to picture the pitch. Don't leave out any detail as you remember it, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Close your eyes and paint the picture in your mind."

Harry, not sure what to expect, did as Malfoy asked. For a few minutes, he couldn't think of the pitch without thinking about the fans cheering or, much darker, the Dementors nearly kissing him when Sirius startled him. But Malfoy told him he needed to think only of the pitch.

Finally, Harry saw the pitch clearly in his mind, the stands empty. Then a noticed someone sitting in the stands. Harry instantly panicked, thinking it was Voldemort.

"Settle down Potter. There is no way Voldemort can see into your mind. You are not connected to the Voldemort of this time and your Voldemort is separated not only by the magic of Hogwarts but an infinite number of universes. I'm performing legilimency. That I can so easily access your mind shows how…forgive me, how _nonexistent _your mental protections are."

_Well, excuse me _Harry's voice boomed in his mind. _I didn't exactly have the best teacher. So, what happens now?_

"I'm going to pull out of your mind Potter. When I do, you are going to build a wall around the entire pitch."

_What the bloody hell do you mean __**build a wall**__? How do I do that?_

"Well Potter, you are going to do it by hand. It is quite literally like building a wall. You'll need to figure it out for yourself. Not to be rude, but this is far too basic to be written in any book. You have to decide how best to build the wall. Let me know when you're finished and we'll test it to see how you did."

With that, Malfoy disappeared, leaving Harry standing alone in the pitch.

* * *

It took nearly three hours for Harry to complete his wall, three of the most tiring hours of his life. He felt physically, mentally, and magically exhausted. If he could see his physical body, he would've thought he was an inch from death.

"Uhhhh. Sweet Merlin," Harry groaned, returning to consciousness. His eyes needed a few minutes to work. Then he saw Malfoy standing over him, holding two vials of potion.

"Not bad Potter. You built your wall faster then I thought. Took me nearly twice as long my first time."

Harry was too exhausted to care. "Gee, thanks," he said, taking the vials. "Cheers." The potions tasted terrible but he felt his strength almost instantly return. "Now what?"

"Now you need to go back to the pitch. I'll be there waiting for you."

With a groan, Harry closed his eyes and pictured the pitch again. It came to life almost instantly, complete with the marble wall Harry had erected around it. Malfoy was standing outside the wall.

"All right Potter. Let's see how you did." Malfoy spent fifteen minutes walking around the entire perimeter of the wall, waving his wand over certain spots, muttering incantations. Finally, he looked over at Harry with a smile. "Outstanding work for your first time Potter. This is stronger then I expected." Then he looked both sly and sad, which worried Harry deeply.

"What I do now Potter I do because you need to learn. I promise it is not meant to be mean."

_What are you going to do?_ With a flick of his wand, Malfoy blew a hold in his wall, creating a hold about five yards long. _God damn it! What did you do that for?_

"Experience Potter. You didn't think to put any wards or shields on your wall."

_You didn't tell me to, you ruddy bastard!_

Malfoy chuckled. "I didn't for a reason Potter. It is the same thing Bella did to me. You have to learn these things yourself. No one is going to be there when you are fighting Voldemort. You have to think of these things yourself."

"Rebuild this wall and put up at least three wards. Then build another two walls around the first and ward them. Make it a challenge Potter. Use your magic. You may be surprised what happens."

Before Harry could respond, Malfoy disappeared. Swearing sulfurously, Harry set to work.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Harry awoke, came about, or whatever the hell you call leaving his mind. Malfoy was waiting as before, with two vials of potion. This time however, he looked both surprised and impressed. He also looked more then a little skeptical.

"Surprised to see you pull back so soon Potter. You don't look as worn as before. Are you sure you're walls are well protected?"

Harry tipped back both potions in quick succession, his newly imparted potions genius telling him these potions worked best when taken in one after the other. "There ready Malfoy," he said testily.

Malfoy simply smiled. "Fair enough. Let's test them."

When they were back in Harry's private pitch, the walls did indeed look formidable, at least physically. Not only had he rebuilt the wall and two more, he fortified the marble with steel. He had no idea how he did it but his magic responded to his will, or perhaps it was the other way around. There were also a few surprises for Malfoy in particular and any invader in general.

Draco walked around the perimeter, trying to snuff out weak points in the physical structure. Harry followed silently, waiting for his magical test. "Sound work physically Potter," he said after fifteen minutes. He raised his wand. "Let's see how they hold up. REDUCTO!"

The orange spell struck the wall but it held, glowing orange where the spell hit for a second. Simultaneously, to Malfoy's surprise, the wards shot bolts of white lightening that hit him, instantly vanishing him from his mind.

With a look of triumph, Harry left his pitch. The look disappeared when he saw Malfoy nursing a burn on his chest.

"Merlin Potter! What kind of ward was that?"

Harry started to wave his wand over Malfoy's burns but he pushed his wand away. His body smoked for a few seconds and he was healed. Harry forgot he was a boggart, not a real person.

"It wasn't a ward so much as a synthesis of the protego charm and the lightening curse I read in one of the dark arts books."

Malfoy eyed him oddly. "So that spell is your own creation?"

Harry thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so. Why?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Oh, no reason Potter. It is just that you invented your own spell while performing a difficult mental exercise. Either that was extraordinary luck or remarkable skill. I'm inclined to believe the latter."

"Don't let that get to your head though. We have much more to cover, and that doesn't include true legilimency. This is only the beginning. You also shouldn't be surprised if I'm not the only one here the next time you come in."

Harry nodded. "I understand."

"Good. When you come in next, have at least three more walls built…" Malfoy paused; seemingly listening to something only he could hear. "Potter, go see Dumbledore straight away. Don't worry about the gargoyles. They'll jump aside. And don't forget to build at least another three walls before you come back tomorrow."

"Wait, I can't come back tomorrow. I have lessons. And why do I have to see Dumbledore?"

"Don't worry about that. Just go see him now. You'll understand soon." Malfoy shooed him towards the exit.

Harry scratched his head. Why in the blazes would Malfoy want him to see Dumbledore? It was nearly ten, on a Sunday night no less. The halls were empty save for patrolling prefects. Harry managed to avoid them easily enough thanks to the secret passageways throughout the castle.

As Malfoy said, the gargoyles were off to the side and the staircase was already up.

"Enter," called Dumbledore before Harry could even knock. Harry vowed he would learn how Dumbledore always knew who was standing outside his door.

"So Mr. Potter, I understand you wish forego your classes for the remainder of the term." Harry looked blank, which seemed to agitate Dumbledore. "Well, is that not true?"

"Albus," admonished a melodic tenor. "This is not Harry's idea." The lady in the portrait turned to Harry and her beauty momentarily took him aback. "I'm sorry for this Harry. But if you wish to return to your time soon, we need to step up your training." She cast a severe look at Dumbledore. "Of course if Albus had not been so distrusting of your intentions, this would be a non-issue."

Dumbledore looked resolute, his eyes blazing with righteousness. "I am not convinced of his intentions Rowena. This boy claims to be a time-traveler and primary nemesis of Lord Voldemort in his time. I have no proof of this, even if I can find no fault in his story. That truth convinced me to give him the knowledge. It is up to him to prove himself worthy and unlock the abilities. And let us not forget this was a boy who removed the soul of a man. That is extraordinary dark magic, especially when performed by a human."

"Magic beyond anything you or I understand is working Albus, trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort. We should be doing everything we can to help Harry, not slow him down. If he hadn't already known about the Room of Requirement when he arrived, I shudder to think where he might be right now developmentally."

Dumbledore looked resolutely skeptical and Harry realized that perhaps Malfoy was right. This Dumbledore was far more cynical than the Dumbledore he knew from his time.

Eventually the Headmaster sighed…or perhaps he growled. "The boy is excused from the rest of his classes," he said angrily, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll leave it to him to explain his absence to the school. Now get out of my office."


	33. Chapter 33

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 33

Eastern Europe has historically been a region of poverty and destitution, of desperation and corruption. Some of the most notorious European sex traffickers began their lives in the hard streets in Romania, Albania, and Slovenia and places like it.

The magical element in this region of the world has not fared much better. The poorer the muggle economy, the closer the ties between the magical and non-magical people. In some places, witches and wizards are a part of drug and sex trafficking organizations. They are well paid of course, and their "secret" abilities are kept just that—a secret.

Tropoj is one such town where the lines are so blurred, they are almost non-existent. But the desperation can be good, particularly for someone trying to hide.

* * *

_Albania, January 1998_

"Thank you," said a tall, well-made man with deep lines on his face that made him look far older than what he was.

The lady said nothing, which was to be expected. With a nod, Remus Lupin walked up the street, his demeanor calm. But his eyes were trying to look everywhere at once; his werewolf-heightened senses of smell and hearing helping him keep an eye out for threats.

There was trouble here. He could feel it. He had followed the source of darkness across Eastern Europe, from Turkey to Greece, ultimately to Albania. Something told him this was his last chance to defeat the shadow he hunted. If he failed, he would surely die.

The idea didn't faze anymore.

* * *

_Hogwarts, January 1978_

Not wanting to see his housemates, wishing to avoid explaining why he was dropping out of his lessons because he had no suitable lie, Harry crept down to the kitchens an hour before breakfast was going to start.

In typical fashion, the house elves practically fell over themselves in their haste to serve him. Harry ate lightly, unable to shake a knot in his stomach. Something was happening. Of course where—or when—it was happening was unknown.

What also unsettled Harry is he never felt this type of sensation before, at least like this. It was just something in his gut; it almost felt as if his magic was telling him something was afoot. It was new, and more then a little disturbing.

Careful to avoid people in the halls, Harry made his way up to the Room of Requirement. He took three deep, calming breaths as he paced before the wall.

Two steps into the room, Harry instinctively ducked, sensing a blow coming at his head. Something heavy whizzed through the air, clipping a few of the hairs on the top on his head.

The assailant quickly recovered, the weapon whipping through the air, aimed to take him out at the knees. Harry, in a rush of magic that surprised him, flipped over the weapon. Before he landed, he conjured a spear of midnight black. His adversary, cloaked in billowing black robes with red trim, bent backwards, twisting his body so quickly Harry expected him to become stuck.

But the assailant recovered in a heartbeat, a flick of his hand nearly stunning Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived stuck his hand out, palm forward, deflecting the curse.

"Ai, not bad," said the man, leaning on his stick. "Rowena was right about you boy. You have promise."

Harry, still wired from the brief battle, looked around the room, obviously flabbergasted. "What the hell is going on?"

Malfoy stepped out of the shadows. "What's happening Potter is your first day of new classes. It's mid-January. We have work to do to get you ready. I told you last night you shouldn't be surprised if there are more people here."

The robed man, his face still hidden from view by his hood, moved backward. "There will be time for introductions later Potter," said Malfoy, sensing his question. "First, I can see you built those walls I asked you, probably more then three."

"How can you tell? I can't feel you in my mind."

"That's good, since I wasn't employing legilimency. No, I know you built the walls because of your performance just now. You anticipated attacks and staved off someone who, I can assure you, is a remarkable warrior. Granted, he wasn't going full-speed. But you did well."

Harry still didn't understand what was happening, which was not lost on Malfoy.

"Potter, how did you know to duck just now?"

Harry shrugged. "I just had a feeling something was about to hit me?"

Malfoy nodded. "And where did this feeling come from?"

Another shrug. "I don't know. I just sensed it. Something told me to duck and I did." Harry couldn't figure out what Malfoy was driving at.

Malfoy smiled. "You're learning how to feel your magic and the magic around you, how to hear it speak to you. That is key to mastering true occlumency. Meditation, retreating into your mind and body, both help you form a deeper connection with your magic. You've taken the first steps down a very long path. One of the people you meet will help you go further. I'm afraid my time teaching you true occlumency is nearly at an end."

"Why?"

"Aunt Bella never taught me more than what I taught you. That is to say I don't know how to do anything but build exterior walls. The future me, the Malfoy you knew, may be a more accomplished occlumens. But it doesn't matter since my abilities are defined by the Malfoy you knew."

Malfoy turned around and walked back to shelves of books in the back of the room. He took a seat and gestured for Harry to take the seat across from him.

"What is going to happen now," Harry asked when Malfoy sat quietly for a few moments, apparently deep in thought.

Malfoy shook his head before answering, as if truly in a deep, meditative state. "I'm going to turn you over your new professors. But before I do that, I need to explain your new course schedule as it were. From here on out, you will need to be here at four in the morning."

Harry's jaw dropped. "What? Are you out of your freaking mind?"

Malfoy chuckled. "No Potter, I'm quite serious. Six people are going to get their claws in you every weekday. One before breakfast, two between breakfast and lunch, two more between lunch and dinner, and one more before you go to bed. You'll have half an hour for each meal, then it is back to work."

The Slytherin prince laughed out loud at Harry's reaction. "I'm sorry Potter, but this is not my idea. If you have a problem, take it up with Voldemort." He spoke lightly, but Harry heard and understood the message. He nodded, accepting the work schedule.

"Good. Now, let me introduce your new professors." The robed man from earlier looked up from the book he was reading and whistled. The door to the portrait room opened and five more hooded figures stepped out and approached the two teenagers. Harry was a little nervous; why weren't any of them out of the robes? Why did this have to be so mysterious?"

"Okay," said Malfoy, bringing Harry back to the present. "Your first professor for the day is someone you've probably never heard of, though as you can surmise, he is well-versed in physical combat and training." Malfoy walked over to the person who attacked him earlier. "Harry, meet Godwine Erwin. He will be your physical trainer and melee combat instructor."

The wizard lowered his hood. He was indeed a formidable looking man, dull gray eyes piercing him with more completely than Dumbledore ever could. Now that his hood was down, Harry could see how muscular he was, his chest stretching the robes, his arms taunt and muscular. He also had several scars on his forearms and face, including one right down his lift eye; Harry wondered how he hadn't lost his eye.

"Good to meet you Mr. Potter," he said, his voice surprisingly quiet, though there was an audible tremor of power. His hand almost crushed Harry's, who needed to flex his hand repeatedly to get blood back.

"You too sir," he said, unsure how much he really looked forward to working with this man. Harry sensed he would put him through his paces.

"You second professor is someone much more familiar," interrupted Malfoy, grabbing Harry's arm. "Helga Hufflepuff."

Harry gasped, not expecting to meet one of the founders, or even an imitation of the same.

"Don't worry my dear," she said jovially. "I won't bite. I'm going to teach you defensive magic, including healing charms and spells."

"Thank you," he said, still reeling from meeting a founder.

"For Merlin's sake Potter, pull it together. Your third professor, teaching you offensive magic, will be Godric Gryffindor."

Harry didn't—couldn't—gasp. His heart jumped into his throat as he met the man who founded his house, who gave his name to the village his parents and Dumbledore lived in when they were young. His red beard twitched as he smiled, looking over Harry with respect, almost reverence. His forest green eyes glowed with pride. "So this is the pride and joy of my house. Good to meet you Harry Potter."

Harry had to mentally remind himself to shake his hand. "Good to meet you sir."

Gryffindor waved away such formality. "Please, call me Godric."

"Yes si…Godric." The man winked.

"Next Potter is…"

"Rowena Ravenclaw," interrupted Harry, eyeing the slender figure of the fourth person and seeing the trend.

Sure enough, Malfoy nodded. "My mistress will help you master silent magic, wandless magic, and ultimately instinctive, or thought, magic."

"So sorry about this Harry," she said gently, her navy blue eyes sparkling with wisdom and kindness. "I hope to get you home as soon as possible."

Harry bowed and, for reasons that escaped him, kissed her hand. "It's no trouble," he said. Malfoy and Gryffindor sniggered. Even Erwin smirked, though his serious expression was back on his face quickly.

Though Harry was a little flushed, Malfoy introduced him to his fifth professor. "Zhong Fu Yin Guo, one of histories most underappreciated and underreported figures. She helped design the wards to protect Hogwarts and is the person who developed the theory of true occlumency and legilimency, theories that were not refined until Merlin, and even then only slightly so."

The Asian woman, old, compact, and (seemingly) frail, bowed her head but made no move to shake his hand. Her dark eyes bored into his though, as if trying to see his very soul.

"Your last professor will likely be your least favorite, for a variety of reasons. But what he will teach you is vitally important to your development."

After that introduction, Harry was not surprised to see the wrinkled, pinched face of Salazar Slytherin stare back at him. The former dark wizard appraised him with clinical expertise and detachment. He kept his hands tucked in the folds of his sleeves. Harry didn't motion to shake his hand either. Whatever good feelings he was starting to feel towards certain Slytherins, his opinion of this stark, raving, racist would never change.

"Let me guess," he said, turning his attention to Malfoy. "He'll teach me how to use the Dark Arts."

"In a manner of speaking," Malfoy said, deliberately avoiding the question. "Now, today you get a free pass," he continued, changing the subject. Or so Harry thought. "You're only going to have one lesson today." Five of the people disappeared in a rustle of their cloak, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor giving him sympathetic looks before disappearing.

Salazar Slytherin was the only professor who stayed.

Malfoy looked at the founder of his house and then at Harry. "Potter, stay strong. And remember that no lasting harm will come to you."

"Enough," Slytherin said, his voice smooth as glass, but with a dark undertone.

Malfoy patted Harry on the shoulder and retired to his wardrobe.

Harry and Slytherin stood opposite one another, inspecting one another. The ancient dark wizard spoke first.

"You're shorter then I expected," he said and lifted his shoulders. "We will talk more later. Small talk is not my specialty." Then, without warning, he leap-kicked Harry across the face; sending the Boy-Who-Lived to the stone floor hard, nose broken and bloody.

"What the hell was that for?"

Slytherin's response was to grab him by the throat, magic boosting his strength. He punched Harry twice, hard, in the face and once in the gut. He jerked Harry's head down like lightening, released his neck, and kneed him in the forehead. Magic again boosting the force of his blows, Harry flipped in the air and slammed on the floor, face down.

Snarling with rage, Harry surged to his feet and rushed Slytherin. The dark wizard sidestepped him at the last possible second and jabbed him in the throat, sending Harry to his knees, wheezing violently.

"Why are you angry," Slytherin said, walking slowly around Harry.

Harry spat blood, his eyes burning with fire. "Because you're hurting me."

Slytherin picked him up and threw him violently. As he flew through the air, he fired several curses that burned Harry's arms, legs, chest, and back before he hit the ground again.

Slytherin lifted his hand, lifting Harry off the ground in the process. This was a display of power Harry never saw before, not even from Voldemort.

The dark wizard shook his head as he approached Harry. "No, I am not hurting you," he said. "You are hurting yourself." Sensing what was coming but powerless to stop it, Harry took a kick to the gut and another to the head in quick succession. And again he slammed onto the unforgiving stone floor.

Slytherin tucked his wand in his robes. "I can feel your anger. It flows through your veins like water. It gives you strength. It also blinds you. What good is power, which you possess in near god-like amounts, without discipline?"

Harry saw the dark wizard conjure a chair and sit. "For all your power, you are an insignificant speck in the greater scheme of the universe. If my heir were wise, he would leave you alone. You could not possibly threaten him. Your parents now," he spoke reverently, "they were worth his notice. Even if your mother was a filthy mudblood."

Harry surged to his feet again, pain forgotten, wand at the ready. The air rippled and crackled around him, an illustration of his power that would've scared any normal witch or wizard out of a year's growth. Slytherin didn't even stir.

"Don't you dare talk about her," Harry hissed.

Slytherin smiled a smile all sharp teeth. "Or what."

With another bellow of fury, Harry rocketed at Slytherin, faster than sound. The dark wizard vanished in a cloud of smoke when Harry was a centimeter away. But Harry did not shoot through the smoke. Magic unseen captured him and when the smoke cleared, he was tied to a chair, green tendrils of dark magic keeping his wrists and ankles tied to the chair.

Slytherin rolled up his sleeves, a truly evil smile on his face. "Your anger is blinding you Potter." He unleashed a left hook that battered his jaw and knocked out one tooth. "You leap into action without the slightest thought of what might be waiting for you." An uppercut shattered his lower jaw and Harry bit his tongue, blood flowed freely in his mouth. "My heir may toy with you now but he will not do so always. Do you think what I am doing to you, he can not also do?" Another left hook, followed by a right cross, left him with a swollen eye and another two teeth knocked out.

Slytherin put his hands on Harry's, staring right at his prey. "This is only the beginning of the pain I can inflict upon you my young friend. If you open your mind and commit yourself to my teachings, I can transform you into the ultimate warrior." He pushed himself up. "If you continue to behave as you have done today, you will know only pain and will never…defeat…my heir."

Slytherin kicked Harry hard in the chest, shattering several ribs and sending Harry's head bouncing off the floor, blood running from his concussion.

Harry passed out immediately.

* * *

_Albania, January 1998_

A tall, menacing man fought his way through crowds of peasants. The man had a way of working through the crowds with ease. He grew up in this type of crowded, impoverished hovel. He could navigate it blindfolded.

He sniffed the air as he walked, trying to smell the interloper. Someone was tracking him, one of the boys he bit over two decades ago. He had to admit he was impressed with the lesser man's skills. Even if he'd never tracked anyone before, he was quite the natural.

But Fenrir Grayback was not just any ordinary werewolf. He was an alpha male, one of the fiercest and most notorious werewolves in Europe. Hundreds of werewolves lay dead across Europe, werewolves who foolishly tried to fight the will and power of Lord Voldemort. Their deaths scared the rest into line.

Of course if Fenrir were to die, they would give their loyalty back to Remus Lupin and the Order of the Phoenix. The Dark Lord had been explicit in his description of what would happen to Grayback if he failed. The transformation was a horrible, painful experience even if being in his wolf form was exhilarating. His master had the power to force him to transform again and again, until the pain ripped his sanity to shreds. Some would say Grayback had no sanity to lose. But he did. And even so, he had no intention of being punished.

At a few buildings, he sniffed the ground or rubbed his hands over the brick. The man's scent was hard to track though. Lupin had masked it for certain city blocks and spread it everywhere elsewhere. It was a clever technique. But Grayback was an accomplished sorcerer, trained by Bellatrix Lestrange. He had some difficulty discerning Lupin's path, but not overly so.

He smiled madly once he found the true trail of his pray, his mouth watering.

The joy of the hunt was wonderful.

But it was the kill he truly desired.

* * *

_Hogwarts, January 1978_

Salazar Slytherin did not stay to see Potter cared for and his wounds mended. Nor did he respond to the looks his former friends gave him as he disappeared.

"Are you sure it was wise to include Slytherin in his training," Helga Hufflepuff asked Rowena Ravenclaw, her brown eyes looking over Harry with a deep sadness. "To cause such pain to a student, what good will come from it?"

"Helga," answered Gryffindor. "Slytherin is the only man who can teach Harry to control his emotions and channel his passion to the greater good. Whatever misgivings you have about his methods, and I assure you I sympathize, you cannot deny he has produced some of the greatest witches and wizards the world has ever seen."

"His methods have also produced some of the darkest witches and wizards the world has ever seen," she shot back.

"You know Salazar's passion for military history. He tirelessly studied the military histories of the ancient world. He greatly admired the accomplishments of the Spartans and designed his training regimen based on their warrior training. If Harry can keep his passion in check, then he will be better for Slytherin's teachings"

Hufflepuff did not look at all convinced but before they could continue arguing, Ravenclaw motioned for them to be silent.

Harry grunted and groaned; the healing spells had finished working their magic.

* * *

"How are you feeling Potter," asked Malfoy. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor stood with him. Hufflepuff did not wish to talk with Harry right now, perhaps because she didn't support Slytherin's methods.

At first Harry couldn't remember much of anything that had happened recently. Then he saw the orange salve still on his arms and legs, the salve that healed the burns he got from Slytherin's curses.

"Better now," he said unconvincingly. "At least physically."

The others were not fooled though. They saw Harry's embarrassment at being so thoroughly defeated.

Gryffindor set a strong hand on his shoulder. "My boy, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Salazar did that to all his students. He believes that there is strength in being taken so low. How will you respond? He was overstating things a little when he said he could make you the ultimate warrior. You will need all of our help for that. But he will teach you to control your emotions and not let your passions overwhelm you."

Harry didn't respond. The others didn't know what he was thinking. "Harry, do you still wish continue your education," asked Ravenclaw delicately. He really didn't have a choice, not if he wished to return to his own time anytime soon. But she didn't want to force an ultimatum on him.

That didn't mean Harry couldn't see the ultimatum or himself. But that had nothing to do with his decision. Slytherin was the fiercest foe he ever fought, the first person (not counting his duel with Malfoy last year) who held nothing back. Well, actually that wasn't true. He never tried to kill him. But otherwise he was in his element and Harry was no match, unworthy of his attention for all intents and purposes.

So when Harry nodded, he made a promise to himself that, when he finally returned, he would never—_**never**_—let an enemy toy with him again. And that included Voldemort.

* * *

_Albania, January 1998_

Fenrir Grayback stood outside a dingy little motel, his hood raised to protect him from the pouring rain. Lupin was here, hiding among the peasants.

Grayback smiled carnivorously, licking his lips in anticipation of the kill.

Remus Lupin would die tonight.

* * *

As Grayback walked into the building, a slightly smaller figure stepped out of the shadows, wand at the ready. He took a couple claming breaths, telling himself there was no other way, that Grayback _must _be killed.

"Adnihilio tria!"

Three right orange spells shot out of his wand, hitting the building in three different spots. The man immediately raised an anti-apparation ward, ignoring the witches and wizards who were trying to escape the fast-collapsing building.

From a window on the second floor, Grayback stared at the man holding the ward. He snarled wordlessly, holding the devastation in place.

The man lowered his hood, revealing a gray-haired young man, much younger than the wrinkles on his face make him look.

Lupin, still holding the ward, cast _incendio _with his free hand. The fire spell was not particularly powerful but it held long enough to spread. Grayback stubbornly held his ground, not letting the building collapse on top of him.

The fire spread quickly, despite the rain. Soon Lupin could tell the room Grayback was in was on fire from without and within. And he knew at once when the ire was too much for the other werewolf. He released his hold on the collapsing building. The roof smashed down on him and the flames erupted into the sky.

Frowning, feeling horrible for the innocent people he killed, Lupin disappeared with a rustle of his cloak, a step ahead of the muggle and magical authorities.


	34. Chapter 34

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 34

_The self is the friend of a man who masters himself through the self,_

_But for a man without self-mastery, the self is like an enemy of war._

—**The Bhagavad Gita**_, India, Circa A.D. First Century—_

Harry's first lesson, as it were, lasted only fifteen minutes or so. Another forty-five minutes were needed to heal all of his wounds. With the rest of the day to himself, Harry left the Room, wanting very much to be alone and as far from the Room as possible at the moment. At the same time, he also really wanted a place to think. But there were classes going on and students moving through the halls. Few places would invite the sort of privacy he wanted.

Harry walked aimlessly for a few minutes, thinking about what the path now stretched before him. So much had happened during his first term and he could make little sense of it, especially how it led him to the road he was currently on.

But he felt now he was on the path that would prepare him to return to his time and finally—_**finally**_—defeat Voldemort. That was reassuring.

Harry scowled, ducking quickly behind a tapestry and putting up protective wards. It would be reassuring if he didn't feel so pathetic, so weak. Slytherin showed him how the concentrated, focused power of a Dark Lord could whip him with ease. Harry never stood a chance against Slytherin. It was humiliating.

He could not deny the truth in his warning though. Voldemort had a flare for theatrics; there was no denying that. Every time he faced Harry, he always toyed with him. There was a sick need for him not only to possess great power, but be seen by his minions and foes alike as invincible.

It would have been over in an instant if the teenage Riddle had the basilisk ready to bite him in half the second he opened the chamber door.

In the graveyard, once Wormtail gave him his wand, he could've murdered Harry then and there. No fuss; over in a flash of green light.

In the Ministry, leave Bella to grovel and kill Harry. Avoid Dumbledore and, unknowingly, fulfill the prophecy.

Even last year, why order your Death Eaters to spare Harry. Not only spare him, but also not even capture him. It was ridiculous.

Would that always be the case when Harry faced the Dark Lord?

He shook his head.

Of course not. Slytherin was absolutely right. Perhaps the next time he faced the Voldemort of his time, the Dark Lord would fight to the death straightaway. He admitted that Harry was fast becoming more powerful in his absence. His tired theatrics could backfire even worse the next time they dueled. Maybe the boy would win?

That did nothing to alleviate his embarrassment at being laid so low so fast.

When the bell ending the first classes of the day rang through the halls, Harry checked to make sure his wards were sound and waited until silence returned. The, as quietly as he could, he headed up to the Astronomy tower. The classrooms were being used but, as he hoped, the tower itself was empty. With a sigh, Harry heaved himself up onto the ramparts and stared out over the grounds.

During the day, this was a truly incredible view and for a few moments Harry silently absorbed the majesty of the scene: the sun shining brightly over the lake, the pristine, black water still as glass, save the ripples made by the squid who had floated to the top of the water and was now sunbathing; the gentle breeze blowing through the trees, causing birds to fly from their perches, chirping with what Harry vividly imagined to be indignation; in the distant background, he could make out people cleaning the walks in front of their shops; from this distance they looked like tiny ants.

It was all so serene.

Harry closed his eyes, committing all he saw to memory. But as he retreated deeper into his mind, he saw the world with new eyes. The magic protecting the school felt like a beacon, and Harry could see feint images in his mind, reflected off the magic.

He retreated deeper into his consciousness, following an instinct he never imagined he had and one he couldn't quite understand.

He felt the third years chatting amiably down in the 3rd Astronomy classroom, the luckless 5th year professor's aid unable to rein them in. Harry smiled, noting his frustration.

Harry followed the current of magic elsewhere, all the way down to Professor McGonagall's 7th year Transfiguration class. His family was there. He felt his mother's discontent and apprehension, and something told him it was because of his absence.

A rush of guilt gripped his heart; he never told her what was happening. He suddenly wished to be there, to tell her about his new lessons.

* * *

Lily Evans barely paid attention to Professor McGonagall's lecture on the combative application of non-existentialist transfiguration.

"Mum…sorry…private…of Requirement."

Lily looked around the room suddenly. Seeing nothing she shook James' arm.

"What is it Lils," he asked, not paying much attention either. Of course he had cause to be uninterested; he was probably the third best practitioner of Transfiguration in the castle after the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall.

"Did you hear something just now," she asked in a hushed whisper.

Not hushed enough. "That will be quite enough chatter Miss Evans," McGonagall reproached. "Please pay attention."

"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am." Lily glanced at James out of the side of her eye. Her boyfriend shook his head.

Another ten minutes passed before Lily heard the voice again. Where was Harry? Was he in the room? But how could've he have been here? She never saw him come in. In fact she hadn't seen him for a couple of days.

"Harry," she whispered so softly, she barely heard the words pass her lips. "Harry, where are you?"

No response, not even the voice in her mind. Only a flash of frustration not her own and the briefest image of the Astronomy tower.

Lily was a little antsy when McGonagall finally dismissed class. She gave James a quick peck on the cheek and an "I'll see you at lunch" and was out the door.

She worked her way through the younglings and gave short, generally uninterested responses to the people who called to her. She wanted to get to the Astronomy Tower before Harry left.

Assuming he was even there, which she was not sure of. Yet on another level she knew that was exactly where he was. How she couldn't say. But he was there.

Sure enough, when she trekked the long staircase and pushed open the door, Harry was sitting on one of the ramparts, staring out over the grounds.

She approached him quietly and set a hand on his shoulder. "Harry."

Harry's eyes snapped open and, in a flash, he flipped over Lily and landed with his wand at the ready. Lily's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

Harry smirked nervously and holstered his wand. "Sorry mum. Seems I could sense you in Transfiguration, halfway across the castle. But when you're right behind me." He shrugged his shoulders. "You're invisible to me."

Lily set down her bag and examined him closely. Something was not quite right, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She could've sworn she saw bruises on his face but when she looked closer, they were gone.

"Harry, where have you been the last couple of days," she asked, setting her curiosity aside for the moment.

Harry sent his wand back into his holster and sat down on the ground, back against the stone o the rampart. Without being asked, Lily sat down next to him. She held his hand, absently tracing circles on the back of his palm with his thumb. It seemed to calm her son; some of the tension she felt and saw in his body melted away. Not all of it though. Not all of it.

Harry put his head against the wall and closed his eyes. "It has been decided that I will forego the rest of my classes this term," he said suddenly.

Lily nearly dropped his hand in surprise. "Why…how…who…what?"

Harry chuckled. "That leaves out where and when." He put his other hand over Lily's and looked at her with tired eyes. "The night after I came back." He shook his head. "Excuse me, after Dumbledore rescued me, I was training with Draco, learning a little bit about true occlumency."

"_True _occlumency?" Harry ignored the question.

During our session, he told me to see the Headmaster. He didn't tell me why. Just that I would find out when I got there. Turns out, after the memory transference…"

"Wait," his mum said urgently. "What the bloody hell do you mean _memory transference_? I've never heard of that."

Harry's eyes looked at the tower door but Lily could see that he was thinking deeply, seeing something only he could see. She only had a little patience though; after a minute or so, she nudged him. "Memory transference Harry. What is it?"

"Dumbledore took me to Nurmengard with him about a week ago when he went to check on Grindelwald with what I can only assume is his normal entourage. When we reached his room…or cell if you'd rather, on the top floor, Dumbledore put the others to sleep and performed a ritual. Very primitive—probably 6th or 7th century B.C.—but undeniably powerful. Their knowledge, including that of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and some, if not most, of their abilities were transferred to me. Dumbledore underwent a similar procedure when he traveled to China."

Lily looked astonished. "Harry, do you understand what you're saying? Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and I'm ignoring the fact that Dumbledore underwent a similar procedure, are both over one hundred years old. Assuming most of his entourage are an average age of thirty, that's," she looked up, mentally doing the math. "At least three hundred and fifty years of accumulated knowledge." She looked awed. "That is incredible."

Harry chuckled a little sourly, thinking how much easier it would be if it went down exactly as his mum imagined. "Dumbledore didn't trust me, not after I told him about how I need to eventually kill Voldemort and that it was I who removed Peter's soul." Lily looked upset and her grip on his hand tightened like a vice. "Mum. Mum, please. You're hurting me." She shook her head and loosened her grip slightly.

"Oh Harry. I shouldn't have let you take the blame for what I did. You may be home already." She looked very sad and apologetic.

Harry rubbed her hand. "Mum, you don't deserve to draw the Headmaster's wrath. You acted in anger—_righteous anger_ as far as I am concerned. But the Headmaster, because of his experience with and personal feelings for Grindelwald, is taking a soft line with Voldemort. I am not so misguided. Voldemort may not be as politically savvy or shrewd as Grindelwald, but he is far more powerful and bloodthirsty. They are not identical cases and Dumbledore should not treat them as such."

Harry blinked, returning to his original train of thought. "Dumbledore was selective about what skills he imparted to me, or at least put in the final product but not the knowledge of how to get from where I am to the end of the road. I have to find my own way. He's testing me. He doesn't trust me."

"And that's why you're out of classes. He's going to train you now?"

Harry gave her an incredulous look. Hadn't she been listening? But then he realized she simply didn't understand, or perhaps underestimated how deeply Harry's "crime" against Peter upset him.

"Dumbledore isn't training me. I suspect he's going to have as little to do with me as he can until I can build up trust with him again. No, from here on out I'm working with new professors on what, I sincerely hope, will be the skills I need to get rid of Voldemort once and for all. Those bruises you sensed when you walked in were inflicted on me by one of my new professors. Of course they were healed but being my mum for one and an extremely powerful and wise witch two, you sensed the damage even if it had been healed."

Lily arched an eyebrow in surprise. "How did you know what I sensed? I mean, you're absolutely right, but how did you know?"

Harry could only shrug his shoulders. "I'm sorry. My back was to you but I thought I heard you say something about my bruises. Maybe I just misprojected my thoughts on you." He shrugged his shoulders again.

Lily couldn't right off his theft of her thoughts, even if it was incidental. She didn't press him though, filing it away for another time. "So," she continued, changing the subject slightly, "who are your new professors."

"There are six. Because it is the Room of Requirement, and so powered by Ravenclaw's magic, they are people she knew. Two of them I've never heard of. One, Goodwine Erwin if I remember his name correctly, will be my physical trainer and melee combat instructor." Harry smiled wistfully. "He nearly took me out this morning when I first went into the Room. I did some things even I never expected I could. Malfoy says it was because of my rudimentary true occlumency lesson."

"The other new person is a compact, tough, wise Asian woman. I cannot remember her name, which is sad considering what it is she'll be teaching me."

What is she teaching you?"

"True occlumency and legilimency."

"You've said that a few times. What exactly is _true_ occlumency?"

Harry lifted his shoulders again. "I'm not sure. All Malfoy told me is that true occlumency is much more than simple mind defense, just as true legilimency is much more than simple mind reading. Beyond that, I cannot say."

Lily nodded, accepting his story and prompting him to continue.

Harry smiled, though she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. His eyes also shone with pain and frustration…and perhaps determination.

"My other four professors, I'm sure you are familiar with: Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. They'll teach me offensive magic, silent/wandless/'thought' magic, defensive magic/healing charms, and the nature of the dark arts respectively."

Harry's tone went still as glass for the last handful of words and Lily felt as if the air around them dropped ten degrees. Instinctively, she set a hand on his. "Harry, what problem are you having with Slytherin?"

Harry snarled and jumped to his feet and Lily nearly gasped in fright. There was a terrible shadow around her son, almost as if he were a black hole. She'd read about such focus points before in her DADA book. The person or thing was so in tune with their hatred and anger, they feed on the magic around them, corrupting it. They were a black hole of sorts.

She blinked, willing the image to disappear. She had to suppress a relieved sigh when she opened her eyes. Harry no longer had that dark aura about him. Perhaps it had simply been a fluke or figment of her imagination.

Because of her brief episode, she missed some of what Harry said. "I'm sorry Harry," she said. "I wasn't paying attention."

Harry flashed a small smile. "I noticed." His voice grew soft and silky, frustration bubbling below the surface. "Slytherin was my only lesson today, if you can call it that. He…he physically thrashed me." Harry fell to the ground again, burying his head in his hands. "I've never been beaten so thoroughly. Except for a few of Voldemort's fringe followers, who are pathetic for the most part, no one has ever fought me to the fullest extent of their abilities. That racist bastard…I wasn't even worth his notice."

Lily scooted over to Harry's side and rubbed her son soothingly on his back. "And you're afraid. You think you're weak."

Harry was crying now, tears of frustration and self-loathing. "I _am _pathetic! I _am _weak! Nothing is good enough. No matter what the blasted hell I do, I'm never going to be good enough! I'm never going to be able to stop Voldemort." He collapsed fully now, crying freely. Lily sensed the tears only upset him more, a sign of weakness in his eyes. That made him cry harder still.

She pulled his head over onto her chest, rubbing his hair. "Harry, you are the greatest wizard I've ever met," she said, kissing him on the forehead. Harry snorted and shook his head. "It's true my love. You're kind, caring, persistent, brave, and courageous. But one thing you, and no one else is either, is all-powerful."

Harry went rigid. "I should be," he growled so softly Lily almost didn't hear.

Lily continued rubbing his hair. "No, you shouldn't be. No one should be all-powerful. Power corrupts. What you need to do is listen to your new professors. They'll help you." She lifted his head gently and kissed him on the forehead again. "And you need to know that I will be with you and you can always talk to me, night or day."

Harry smiled and Lily saw it was much more genuine. "That's my boy." She waved her wand over his face, vanishing any signs he had been crying. "We also need to see if I can sit in on any of your lessons. These are things I don't want to miss."

"What? You can't miss your classes?"

"I won't love," she said, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. "But you cannot deny I should learn some of what you're learning. Maybe eventually we can include your father and his friends." She was indeed sly. She didn't change the inflection of her voice or shift her eyes with that last statement.

Harry smiled. "Maybe, one day." He squeezed her hands. "I would love to have you there though."

Lily smiled. "Then it's settled. Come on," she said, getting to her feet. "Let's go to lunch."

* * *

The next day, Harry woke with a groan; the _signum tempus_ charm he cast on his wand telling him it was three bloody thirty in the morning. The Boy-Who-Hated-Hyphenated-Names showered and shaved in a haze, which of course was idiotic on his part.

After throwing on the shorts his transfigured yesterday and the loose white tee, he made himself invisible and walked silently down to the Room.

"Good morning Mr. Potter," Erwin greeted when he entered. The Room was about half again larger then yesterday, with a track around the entire perimeter. On the wall opposite the door to the portrait room, there were a few muggle weightlifting apparatuses and what Harry remembered Dudley calling free weights.

Harry didn't like the look of what he saw.

Erwin sensed his hesitation and smiled darkly. "Goodness me Mr. Potter, don't tell me you've never trained before." He spoke with barely concealed glee. "Well, this will be fun. First thing you will do everyday, until I tell you otherwise, is run three miles…or nine laps around the track. This shouldn't take more than twenty minutes." When Harry only stood with a pained look on his face, Erwin adopted a very stern expression. "Get started Potter! Do it to it."

The man fired a _confringo _curse between his feet, which got him moving swiftly, sprinting right out of the gate.

Big mistake.

He was horribly winded after a lap and a half. But when he stopped to catch his breath, Erwin cast another curse. "Don't stop Potter. Even if you have to walk, you _will _keep moving." Muttering curses and thinly veiled threats under his breath, Harry started walking until he got a second wind.

Despite his best efforts, it took nearly thirty minutes for him to finish the three miles. Erwin was not pleased.

"We need to improve your stamina Mr. Potter," was all he said though. "Walk a cool down lap and meet me at the bench press."

"What…what is the bench press," he asked, breathing hard.

"It will be the bench I'm standing by Mr. Potter," he said, but he smiled to take the sting out of the sarcasm. Harry rolled his eyes, holding his arms above his head as he walked the cool down lap.

Over the next hour, Erwin put him through a grueling upper-body workout, moving quickly from the bench press to lat pull down to triceps extension. He ended their workout on an artificial rock-climbing wall. Harry, having no experience at this at all, fell off the wall several times. But once he got a basic rhythm, he realized how hard it worked his whole body, though most especially his upper-body.

"Good work Potter," Erwin praised. "You did exceptionally well for a rookie."

"Oh hot bloody damn," Harry said, arms, chest, and back throbbing mercilessly. "Time for breakfast yet."

Erwin shook his head. "Nope. I've got you for another hour almost. We're going to move on to boxing. Follow me."

Erwin led him through another door Harry hadn't noticed. Inside was a spectacular boxing ring with several different bags hanging on the wall. Two pairs of gloves were hanging over the ropes around the ring.

Erwin slipped through first and held the top rope up for Harry to follow. "Okay Mr. Potter. Show me your boxing stance."

Harry didn't move. "I don't know about boxing sir."

Erwin shrugged. "No matter. Stand with your legs about shoulder length apart."

Harry stood at the ready. "Like this." Apparently not. Erwin moved his legs.

"Okay, before we move on, tell me what is wrong with this stance?"

Harry looked at how he was standing. "You put me like this sir."

"I know. That's not what I meant. We are taking this by stages. Why would this stance not be a wise one to take in a fight?" When Harry still looked blank, Erwin stood like Harry. "Look at me Mr. Potter. What is wrong?"

Harry imagined them in a duel and he understood. "You're exposing yourself. Your whole body is open to the enemy."

Erwin nodded, a broad smile on his face. "Good. Fix your stance, but leave your feet shoulder length apart."

Harry kept picture himself in a duel. He turned his body sideways but kept his face forward. Instinctively, again thinking of a magical duel, he bent his knees.

Erwin clapped. "Great work Mr. Potter. You're presenting as small a target as possible to your enemy. As a man, you're also shielding your manhood, which is, of course, wise. Wise thinking, imagining yourself in a magical duel. They are similar in many ways."

"Now, put your hands up, knuckles facing out." Harry did as he was asked but Erwin corrected his positioning. "Your hands do not have to be right under your chin, unless you're defending yourself. So separation is good. Now, show me your method of attack."

Harry thrust his left arm forward, like a lumbering beast.

Erwin shook his head. "No. Too much force. In boxing, you don't want to go for the kill right away. You'll never take out an opponent in one punch, especially if it is as plodding as yours just was. Do it like this: one—one—one two." Right jab, right jab, right/left jab combo.

Harry mimicked the motion perhaps a dozen times, shifting between leading with his left hand (his strong hand for boxing) and his right. "Good Mr. Potter. The jab is your bread and butter punch. Sometimes in a match, the simplest punch is the most effective. The same holds true for magical duels but I'll save that for Godric."

Erwin glanced at his watch. "All right, it's 6:23. If you care to, clean yourself up and head down to breakfast with your housemates. Be back in here at 6:55." He added the last with a serious look.

Harry nodded. "I will." Erwin nodded and led him to the main chamber and disappeared. Harry passed his wand over his body, muttering _scourgify_. As an added measure, he transfigured his workout clothes into a pair of slacks, black polo, and plain school robes.

"How's it going Nat," called Bryn, hand-in-hand with Ashton. Harry smiled. They were a cute couple.

"Not bad. I'm a little tired is all."

Liam laughed, taking a seat next to Harry's left as Bryn and Ashton sat across from him. "Out saving the world again are you mate."

Harry shook his head. "Nah. Just tired from my new lessons," he said matter-of-factly, seeing who would push the issue.

"Yeah, that reminds me," said Liam. "Why weren't you in lessons yesterday? And when did you get up the past couple of days?"

Harry took a deep, mental breath, if that were possible. "Dumbledore has decided that, in light of Voldemort," his friends shivered. "Oh blast it all," he said, a little agitated. "Stop shivering at his name. It only makes him stronger. If you can't bring yourself to say Voldemort," another round of shivers, "call him by his birth name: Tom Marvolo Riddle. To be honest, that pisses him off more then any three things I can think of."

"Whatever Nat. Why weren't you in class?"

Harry had no answer, none whatsoever. Nothing he could say would do anything but raise more questions.

Perhaps some measure of the truth. But what could he say?

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "There is a little bit more to my story then what I told you all. My parents were—excuse me, are—enemies of Voldemort. Powerful enemies. They sent me to Hogwarts hoping I would be safe. They hoped I wouldn't be used as bait. I moved in with Lily, my only relative in England. But he tracked me down. I'm a better than fair fighter, though Voldemort is a terror that walks like a man."

"Now that he knows where I am, he is trying to use me as blackmail against my parents. In light of my abilities and the fact I could pass my NEWTs right now, the Headmaster has decided that I should take course if you will that will prepare to fight Voldemort. My parents are in complete support of his decision and my lessons started yesterday."

There. It was done. Some half-truths and out-and-out lies, but the nucleus was true. His friends gave him looks half scared, half awed. Ashton was the first to break the awkward silence. "What about Quidditch," she demanded roughly, causing Harry, Bryn, and Liam to laugh.

"Rest assured madam, I will be at every practice I can and will give 110% every game."

Ashton nodded solemnly, creating a sort of pact among the four friends to let Harry's story drop. "I would expect nothing less."

* * *

"Good morning Harry," greeted Helga Hufflepuff cheerfully. "I trust breakfast was to your liking?"

Harry cocked his head. It sounded as if she had a personal hand in making breakfast. But that was impossible.

As if picking the thought out of his head, she smiled. "The house elves on staff are mostly descendants of Hufflepuff family elves. They use cooking and cleaning spells and charms I invented myself, with their own elfish touches of course."

Harry smiled, understanding now. "Every meal I've ever had here has been wonderful. You don't need to worry on that score."

"Oh, good. But you don't want to talk about any of that. We're going to spend time studying defensive magic. Let's review all the shield spells, wards, and other defensive spells you know."

Nearly two hours later, they reviewed every shield and ward he knew. Hufflepuff didn't just have him cast the spell though; she rigorously tested his shields and wards with a variety of curse, some familiar, others exotic. She also gave him tips on how to perform each better and how to use them in a duel where he may be constantly moving.

"Great work Harry. I'm very impressed with your knowledge and skill of defensive magic. Now, in our remaining time, I want to introduce a new type of shield. You've mastered conjuring rudimentary wards, concentrated in small blasts with your hand as the focus point. What I want to do now is expand on that."

"An ability not practiced by many but very helpful is energy absorption. There is no incantation though. It is a force of will."

Harry was intrigued. "How does it work?"

Hufflepuff walked about fifteen feet from Harry. "Let me show you. Cast a curse, any curse of your choosing."

"Okay. Stupefy!"

The red spell shot at Hufflepuff who caught it in her hand. She closed her fingers on the shimmering red ball of magic and it disappeared.

"Wow, I've never seen that before," Harry exclaimed.

Hufflepuff smiled. "I wouldn't think so, though it is something I believe is critical to defense. By absorbing the energy, I become slightly more powerful, though it is only temporary, depending on the curse and the strength and intent of the caster. In a duel, I could take your stunner and, magically boosted, cast a bone-breaking hex at another foe. Or I could raise a shield, one that would be correspondingly stronger."

"Now, try another curse, something darker."

Harry focused all his energy on this next curse, eager to see the effectiveness of this technique. "Erus navitas telum!"

Bolts of cackling blue energy shot out of his wand and arced towards Hufflepuff who stood at the ready. The woman pushed her arm out, palm forward. The energy struck her hand, causing her to back step ever so slightly. Harry saw her wince built kept up the attack, expecting this was what she wanted.

She raised her other hand, focusing her formidable gaze on Harry's curse. The energy responded to her defense, dividing into two streams of energy. Hufflepuff absorbed the energy until Harry lifted the curse. By the time he was finished, two, swirling, blue balls on energy were in her hands, glowing so brightly they were almost white. With an effort, she closed her hands on the magic.

She was breathing hard for about a minute. "My word Harry. That was a workout. But I'm glad you kept the attack going. Do you see the applications of this type of magic?"

"I do professor. That was incredible." He couldn't keep the awe out of his voice. "Do you feel any stronger?"

"A little. That was a powerful spell you cast. The energy I absorbed was less then what I expended protecting myself. That will happen when a sustained curse, like yours, is cast in a duel. However, if you cast a short burst or perhaps an unforgivable, the energy boost would be great with minimal effort. It is a give-and-take relationship Harry."

"But we've run out of time for today. Godric will want to work with you I'm sure. Tomorrow we will begin here. Work on your legilimency skills. That will help you learn this ability. Much of it, though not all, is dependent on your ability to feel and manipulate the magic around you."

* * *

"Sit with me," Zhong Fu Yin Guo said softly after Ravenclaw disappeared. Harry was slightly disappointed at his two previous lessons but, like Hufflepuff, they were reviewing and fine tuning what abilities he already had.

Guo…now Guo would be interesting, or so Harry hoped. He obediently sat beside his professor.

"You've learned the basics of occlumency and I sense you've experienced legilimency yesterday."

"Wait, no one performed legilimency on me yesterday."

"That is not what I said my child. You performed legilimency."

"How?"

"You know how? Tell me."

Harry tried to think of any time he performed legilimency, but he never poked around in someone else's memory.

Then he remembered what Malfoy told him. True legilimency is much more involved then simple mind reading. It was about feeling the magic around you.

"When I sensed my mother in Transfiguration or when I looked in on the third year Astronomy class. Both times I was performing legilimency."

Guo nodded. "Correct. Magically powerful you are. Even the beginnings of occlumency opened your mind enough to feel the magic around you. We will take that further today."

She closed her eyes and rested her hands on her knees. "Meditation is critical. Close your eyes and listen to my voice."

Harry did as she asked. It took a few minutes to feel her voice though.

"Serene and calm your mind must be. Think about the serenity of the lake if you must."

He tried to picture the scene of the lake again, from the smooth surface of the lake to the birds flying out of the trees, chirping madly.

_Can you hear me _Guo said mentally.

_I can_.

_Good. Listen to my voice. Listen to the hums of the wards in this room. Can you hear them?_

Harry tried to listen, tried to discern any sound. But he heard nothing.

_Focus _Guo interjected. _Do not think. Do not try to imagine the wards. Listen._

Harry, seething a little, tried listen.

After five minutes, he still heard nothing. Guo hadn't spoken to him at all. Harry was on his own.

_Come on Potter. You can do this_. _I just need to…_

Harry heard something strange, like a record skipping. He followed it to the source, intrigued. It was coming from the top of the wards, which formed a dome that reached the ceiling.

_Excellent _Guo called. _You sensed the catch in the wards. Why is there a catch?_

Harry listened to the hums of the wards and the hum of the magic of the room itself. Then he heard the scrapping of conflicting magical energies.

_Good. You are learning. Quiet your mind and continue to listen to my voice._

_

* * *

_

The two and a half hours passed in the blink of an eye once he caught on to what Guo was teaching. She had him immerse himself in the wards protecting the room, listening and feeling the magic. She promised that soon he would move on to manipulation once he improved in his ability to slip into the magical energies around him.

His last lesson of the day, after dinner, was the one he was most dreading. The cold indifference Slytherin observed him with did nothing to improve his nerves.

"Your lessons, till now, have been two and a half hours. I doubt you will last two and a half minutes in my lessons. Much anger I still sense in you."

Without moving his hands or even flicking his eyes, Slytherin knocked Harry forcibly into a chair and trapped him in the same bonds of dark energy. He struggled but it was in vein.

Slytherin sneered. "Pathetic. Can you not listen to the magic of these wards Potter? You have learned nothing." He smashed Harry across the face with a powerful left cross.

Harry spat out a tooth and blood. "Fuck you," he snarled, trying to summon his wand from his holster.

Slytherin smiled. "Looking for this." Slytherin lifted his hand and the wand shot into his palm. He twirled the wand, his smile all sharp teeth. "Nice wand." He flicked the wand and two long, deep gashes cut across his legs. The dark wizard flicked it again, making a blade appear on the tip. He threw it up in his hand, caught it blade down and jammed it through his thigh.

Harry screamed. "You bastard," he said through clenched teeth. "What was that for?"

Slytherin punched Harry, right in the eye. He followed it up with a punch in his gut. Harry spat up more blood.

"For disrespecting your professors. They try to teach you and you disregard everything they say. You are not even worth the effort."

"I've heard everything they've said."

Another left-right combo, followed by a searing cut on his left arm. He gritted his teeth against the pain. "Do not lie to me boy. If you've heard them, stop me."

He pulled Harry's wand out slowly, twisting the knife as he pulled. Harry gasped in pain. Slytherin held the blade against his throat. "You can't stop me. You refuse to listen to me or your professors."

He thrust Harry's wand across his wrist and forearm until it was back in his holster. "I have nothing else you say to you tonight." A roundhouse kick and Harry saw nothing but blackness.


	35. Chapter 35

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 35

_Death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die every day._

—_Napoleon Bonaparte—_

_February 1978_

Air whizzed by Harry Potter's ear, Erwin's punch flying an inch from his ear. Harry jabbed like lightening, right into Erwin's side.

The elder took the punch with minimal fuss. Almost immediately he grabbed Harry around his back, his knee lancing up, intending to knock Harry out of the fight.

The Boy-Who-Lived turned his head, presenting a natural curve of his body to catch the blow. The knee hit his shoulder with great force, but Harry wrapped up his professor's leg and dropped his body, using gravity to take down Erwin.

As they were wrestling on the ground, Harry kept his head to the side, punching every inch of Erwin's body he could reach.

It wasn't enough. Erwin grabbed his arm, pushing him enough to turn 180 degrees, twisting Harry to the ground. He jumped away from Harry once he was on his feet.

"Good work Harry," he said, feeling a cut on his lip. "You certainly are a quick study."

Harry pushed himself to his feet and bowed to Erwin. "All because of your teachings."

Erwin snorted. "Drop the act Mr. Potter. It suits you not at all." He grew serious in a flash. "You need to be better about feeling the flow of the fight. It isn't a magical ability; it is something in your gut. You made the mistake of believing I was down. Train yourself to see what your foe is thinking. Never assume your opponent is down. They may be playing possum or are waiting for a slip, as I was..."

Harry nodded. "I will sir. I admit I wasn't expecting you to free yourself."

"Decades of experience gives one some skill," he said with a quirky smile. Over the last three weeks he had shown Harry his playful side. He could be funny at times.

He looked at his watch. He had a knowing look on his face. "We're going to keep up hand-to-hand training for a while yet, but as a warm-up. After the weekend, we'll start melee combat, probably short swords, or maybe zei. I'll have to think about that."

Harry smiled, anticipation evident in his eyes and voice. "Can't wait sir."

"Good. See you Monday."

* * *

Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor stood between the two teens. "Harry Potter, are you ready," Hufflepuff asked.

Harry nodded, wand at the ready. "I am."

"And you Lily Evans, are you ready," asked Gryffindor.

"I'm ready," she said, eyes focused on Harry and Harry alone.

"Okay. On my mark," said Hufflepuff, arm held over her head. "One…two…three…MARK!"

The two founders disappeared in a twirl, taking up their usual positions on opposite sides of the dueling youngsters.

These duels had become a Friday tradition. After switching around her schedule, Lily had everyday free between breakfast and lunch. She joined Harry's lessons and quickly proved a more than capable adversary. Like her son, she threw herself into these lessons with an almost fanatical commitment.

And she was frightful witch when she wanted to be.

Harry cast the first stone, firing an arrow of midnight black.

Lily sidestepped the curse, motioning upwards with her wand.

Harry sensed the attack, a rumbling of magic beneath his feet. He couldn't identify the curse but he jumped away just before Lily, the real Lily, shot up through the ground with an uppercut.

Harry tried to banish her but she curled up, the brunt of the curse shooting under her body. As it turned out, the little rush of magic that hit her pushed her away, giving her breathing room.

The two circled one another, about five yards apart. They traded a few curses but it was nuisance fire; they were trying to feel each other out. Harry especially, but also Lily through talking with Harry, had started following Slytherin's teachings: he was putting the last battle behind him, taking what lessons he could from the previous battle but his mind was always on the present battle. Lily, though she hadn't been punished like Harry, accepted Slytherin's logic and was fast adopting the same frame of mind.

Lily conjured a fire lasso and threw it at Harry. The boy tried to counter with transfiguration, but he was not skilled or knowledgeable enough to transfigure focused magical spells. His seeker reflexes were all that kept him from losing the duel then and there. With a twist, he whirled over the lasso, conjured a freezing charm and blasting hex, and destroyed the lasso.

Lily didn't wait for her future son to land; she vanished in a twirl of her cloak, to where even they did not know. Harry stalked around the room, vigilantly on guard. When Gryffindor looked ready to yell out, Hufflepuff put a hand on his arm and pressed her other finger against his lips. He smiled a little bashfully.

Once Harry realized his mother was invisible, he cast every sensory spell he knew but he could not find her. He mentally raised his shields, his _forçar armadura_ as Hufflepuff described it. The shield was not a spell, not in the literal sense. It required a deep connection with his magic, which seeped through his skin and protected him from attack. Hufflepuff believed the shield, depending on the concentration and power of the caster, could block any spell, even the killing curse, though she did not encourage him to test her theory. Unlike other magical shields, it would also protect him from non-magical attacks, which Lily liked to use, to say nothing of Slytherin and possibly Voldemort.

The shield rippled and Harry could not help smiling. His mum was trying to curse him but his shield was holding. By the direction of the last curse, he hoped to get the jump on her.

He nearly missed the huge boulder, nearly the size of the Ford Anglia, rocketing at him. He ducked, whipping his wand upwards, sending the boulder crashing fifty yards away. The brief moment of distraction was enough for Lily to attack. Gradually becoming visible, she slid at Harry, magic sparkling behind her as she glided across the stone floor. Before he could protect himself, Harry was thrown in the air, flipping backwards.

Stopping her slide, Lily turned to Harry, pointed her arms straight out with her left hand on her wand, and pulled them apart quickly, muttering _velox perturbo orbis_. A yellowish-green ball of energy shot forward and Harry landed squarely on it, the explosion sending him back at Lily, flipping again.

She cast _discerpo veneficus _silently, but Harry managed to summon a rock to protect him. Smiling playfully, even as he was upside down, he disappeared in mid-air.

The duel proceeded for another forty-five minutes without either getting much of an edge on the other. The two founders considered stopping the match several times. But this was far too good an exercise for them. They were preposterously quick studies, which was doubly remarkable for Lily since she did not have Dumbledore's gift of dormant magical knowledge.

Hufflepuff suspected she threw herself into this training because she harbored some hope, however small, that she would live for her son. But Harry was not like Voldemort, and quite obviously Lily was not like Voldemort. They would not use excessively dark magic on one another, and so only Harry was exposed to dark magic thanks (if that was the word) to Slytherin. Lily would no doubt give Salazar's bastard heir a run for his money but she would lose in the end. It was very sad

She put that dark thought out of her mind, watching the young adults twirling through the air, casting spells and curses at one another in an effort to best the other. To date, Harry never lost a duel. She did not think he would lose this one, but Lily was in rare form.

Breathing heavy, Harry ducked behind a rock. They had to have been going at it for over an hour. This was exhausting. His mum was fighting ferociously. He wondered how to defeat her.

His magic sent him a rush of anger and disappointment, which alarmed him. He closed his eyes, trying to discover the source.

There! He found memories of Slytherin beating him playing across his mind. It was his hated—and probably best—tutor's images triggering his magic. But why now? What was he missing?

So consumed was he by this strange occurrence, he missed Lily capturing him, levitating him above the arena, bound magically without his wand. She smiled. "I think that's checkpoint Harry," she said proudly.

It happened so quickly for Harry. Even without his wand, he felt the tendrils of magic powering the spell, his heightened magical senses, boosted by his new skills in legilimency, seeing the magic in new ways. Discovering the shatter point of the magical bindings, Harry closed his eyes and tried to overpower the curse.

It worked better then he thought. One minute he was held above the ground. The next he was on his feet, wand in his hand, an unarmed, bound Lily at his feet. Her eyes looked at him with enormous shock.

Harry smiled, lifting the spells and helping his mum to her feet. "Sorry mum. Looks like it was only check there. Don't play with you food next time. Make sure I cry uncle for the world to hear." He was mixing metaphors but she understood. She took her wand and sighed massively.

"How the blazes did you do that? I had you. For once, I had you."

Harry laughed and pulled her in for a hug. "Legilimency, my dear Lily." She rolled her eyes at his woeful Sherlock Holmes reference. "So sorry," he said with a smile. "But I felt anger and disappoint, not my own. Slytherin was communicating with me, or else my magic was sending me a message using Slytherin as the vassal. I searched for the shatter point of your spell. Before I knew it, I turned it against you and captured you."

Lily muttered. "I thought I had you. This isn't like it was last summer is it." She embraced him tighter. "You're getting better Harry. I'm so proud."

"As we all are Harry," said Gryffindor, his voice so joyful Harry was sure he was smiling. "That was a spectacular duel, for the both of you. You're a foxy little minx, my lovely little flower," he said, making Lily turn bright red. Gryffindor laughed.

Hufflepuff huffed. "Come now Godric! You're embarrassing the poor girl. Good job Lily and Harry. If you want, you can spend the next couple hours on your own before lunch. You've earned a break." Gryffindor nodded his agreement.

Harry and Lily smiled. "Thanks guys. I'll see you in a few."

Once they were safely out of the room, Harry asked his mum to give him a moment while he went to his dorm. She nodded and told him to meet her outside the portrait of the fat lady. She could use a quick shower and change.

Comfortable in his new outfit, Harry prepared to meet his mum. As he left, he eyed the statue of Ravenclaw again. She was a beautiful woman, even carved in stone. He noticed the strange looking crown on her head, her lost diadem according to his housemates. Supposedly it was made to give the wearer a wisdom boost, but it was lost or stolen after she died. Harry strongly doubted the story.

_You're training with Ravenclaw now. Why not ask her about it? _Harry shrugged, acknowledging the train of thought.

He and Lily walked down to the lake, cloaks pulled up to protect them for the wind. It was a rather warm day all things considered, but the wind was blowing snow. They found shelter near the forest. Harry gathered some sticks and kindling and Lily set a nice fire. Sure they could've used warming charms, but this felt more natural.

"So, how are your other lessons," Lily asked after rubbing her hands by the fire.

Harry smiled. "Not too bad. Erwin is a right freak physically. I've never known a witch or wizard who pushed himself so hard physically. He's quite a melee fight too. I like him though; he's funny when he wants to be."

Lily smiled too. "That's good. How about Ravenclaw and Guo?"

"Ravenclaw is terrific. Without her help, I would be horrible with silent and wandless magic. I wish you could be there too. I can't teach you as much as she can."

Lily rubbed his hand. "You're doing fine. I nearly had you today," she said with a carnivorous gleam in her eye. _I'll have you next time _hovered beneath the surface but she didn't say it. "If that Guo weren't so excellent a teacher, I may have had you already."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I'll admit it was partly, if not mostly luck I won today. I'm not even sure how it happened so quickly. It was like once I found the shatter point, everything happened on its own."

Harry's good spirit faded a little, remembering what brought on his sudden recollection of legilimency and shatter points. "Slytherin isn't going to be too pleased," he said darkly.

Lily held his hand tighter. She hated stories about Slytherin. "Is it any better," she asked tentatively.

Harry nodded, a spastic jerk of his head. "Yeah, I suppose he is. I think we made progress last week."

* * *

_Slytherin again found a way to trap Harry, silently, wandlessly, and without seeming to move a muscle. _

_He struck Harry, a powerful fist slamming into his gut. It was all Harry could do not to throw up._

"_Why are you here Potter," he hissed._

"_What…what do you mean?"_

_Slytherin punched him again. "Do not play the fool! __**Why **__are you here?" He pushed his hand forward, sending Harry flying backward with a sickening crunch._

_Slytherin set him to rights. "Why are you here?"_

"_I don't know you bloody bastard," he said, eyes flashing dangerously._

_Slytherin smiled wickedly. "You should know by now your flashes of anger do not frighten me." He unleashed another combo of punches across his face and body._

_Rage driving him, Harry disconnected himself from the physical pain, retreating into the recesses of his mind. He felt brushes against his occlumency shields but they could not push through. After three minutes of struggling, Harry disabled the bonds holding his wrists, though the green magic of the curse remained._

_Before Slytherin could hit Harry with his last blow of the night, Harry used an ice ball charm—casting it silently, wandlessly, and without moving a muscle—freezing Slytherin. He then pulled his hands and feet free._

_Magic and indescribable fury driving him, he battered Slytherin, blow after blow raining down on him. The dark lord tried to block but Harry was moving quickly, like a machine. In short order, Harry had Slytherin on his knees with his back to him. Harry's wand was against his throat._

"_I feel your anger Potter," he said patronizing. "But you still haven't answered my question: why are you here? Is it to learn to kill, as you so desperately wish to kill me?"_

_Harry hesitated, the enormity of the question striking him. That fraction of a second was all Slytherin needed. In short order, he pulled Harry's leg out from under him and Harry hit the ground with a loud __**crunch!**__ The snake pulled Harry's leg over his shoulder, sending him smacking onto the ground face first. His nose shattered instantly, blood flowing freely. Harry rolled over and tried to kick Slytherin but the dark lord grabbed his leg._

"_Naughty Potter," he said before whipping him across the room. Slytherin jumped through the air, landing on Potter's back, pulling his hair up and holding his wand to his throat. "Why are you here Potter, if not to learn how to kill? Does the idea of killing not excite you? It would only be my crazed heir and his army of fools and hangers-on. What would the harm be?"_

_Harry closed his eyes. He thought of his final duel with Voldemort. Would it end with death? It would have to he supposed. There was no other way that mad bastard would just surrender. And he was too magically powerful and wise to be imprisoned. Either he or his followers would have him on the streets in no time. Harry would have to guard him around the clock, which was not appealing._

_Did the same hold true for his followers? Harry supposed some, like Bellatrix, were equally mad. But maybe there were ones who were genuinely cursed to obey; the Imperius curse was hard to resist, especially one cast by a wizard of Voldemort's magnitude. But even for the evil ones, who appointed Harry their executioner. Killing in the heat of battle was one thing; war was war. But once they were defeated, he could not kill them. _

"_I don't know why I'm here. I don't know who I am, where Harry ends and Voldemort begins. So much has happened, I think there's a little of him inside me."_

_Slytherin let him up and handed him his wand. "You're making progress Potter. You've demonstrated that you have been listening to your professors. But you must learn to keep your calm, regardless of the circumstances. You must also always remember to keep your mind on the present and on your foe. My heir will try to throw you off with disparaging comments or make you question yourself. Do __**not **__listen to him," he stressed. "One of his flaws is that he loves to toy with his victims, even if they've proven worthy foes. He pokes and prods, until he can find the nerve that will either cause his foe to shut down or go berserk. Then they are his. Do not let him get to you in this way."_

_Harry nodded. Voldemort did indeed love to play with him when they faced one another. The only exception was in the Ministry. And now he understood why Slytherin was doing all of this. He wanted Harry to be able to keep his calm, even under duress._

"_What happened to you," he asked suddenly, unsure of where the question came from._

_Slytherin showed no emotion, his face impassive. "That Potter, is a story for another time. I do not think you are ready. Out lesson for tonight is over. Remember what you learned today. Once you can stop me without losing yourself, we will move onto new topics."_

_

* * *

_

"He only stopped the beatings yesterday, even though I've been able to escape and capture him without what I think is undue anger. He felt differently though. I'm hoping today we can move onto something else."

Lily rubbed his hand, soothing him. "I'm not happy with his methods Harry, but everything he says seems to make good sense. I hope you move on today too."

The two sat quietly for another few minutes, until Care of Magical Creatures began. Then, after Lily fired red sparks into the air, they waited for James, Sirius, and Remus to find them. Maybe ten minutes later, the remaining Marauders came round the bend, drawing pads in hand, though they were closed. Harry, thanks to Hagrid, had helped them answer all their questions about Hippogriffs and do up their drawings. Now they could relax for most of an hour before lunch with his loved ones.

"All right there Nat," asked Sirius, casting a cushioning charm before sitting on the hard ground.

"Not too bad. How are you guys?"

James and Sirius shrugged. "Well enough. How are your private lessons going?"

James sounded curious and Sirius and Remus watched him closely. They knew Lily had reworked her schedule to be with him, so something must have been big. Lily squeezed James' hand and gave Harry a brief but serious look. Sighing, Harry cast a number of privacy charms with a wave of his hand. All three Marauders looked surprised by this show of magic when they realized what he was casting.

"Blimey, that was some magic Nathan. Is that part of what you learned," asked James.

Harry nodded. "It is. How would you all like to learn some of what we're learning?" They all nodded. He expected nothing less. "Okay. I'm taking more lessons then Lily, but I can teach you all if you wish, and Lily can help with what we're learning together. That would mean giving up some time on the weekends and weeknights. Would that be okay?"

Remus nodded immediately. Sirius and James hesitated. Lily scowled and dug her nails into James' hand. Her boyfriend yelped. "Bugger Lils. Fine! I'll do it."

Sirius barked laughter. "Well if the two of you are doing it, I suppose I've got no choice. Count me in."

Harry smiled, though it was mostly forced. "Okay." He smiled at James, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Now, how about we talk about the beating Ravenclaw will unleash on Gryffindor next Sunday."

For the next hour, much to the annoyance of Lily, the four men argued back and forth, trading mild hexes occasionally, as Harry assured the defeat of the defending champs. James led the attack, calling Ravenclaw soft and Sirius and even Remus promised to curse Harry if he flew near them.

When lunch approached, Lily and the others walked up to the castle, laughing about the match, and discussing what they would start learning tomorrow. Harry loved every minute, as he always did spending time with his family.

* * *

Six hours later, after leaving his friends, still enjoying dinner, Harry wondered what Slytherin had planned for him.

"Good evening Potter," he said, sitting in a regal if medieval throne. There was a chalkboard and second seat, next to him across from the board. Harry wondered what the board was for.

As if picking the thought from his mind, he flicked his wand and one word appeared at the top in elegant cursive: Horcruxes. Harry's eyebrows shot to his forehead.

"For the next few lessons we're going to discuss dark magic, and your misconceptions of them. The first is horcruxes. Tell me what you know about them."

"My friend, Hermione, gathered from a book that they were objects enchanted by a dark wizard to hold part of their soul. That way they would be immortal, or at least unable to be killed."

"And what is required to create a horcrux?"

"Murder. Murder splits the soul, letting a person create a horcrux."

"Nearly every word you just said is wrong, as is the book your friend found. Like many books that claim to be historiographies of the dark arts, it is biased and not well researched."

"Then what is a horcrux? How do you create one? And how do _you _know?"

Slytherin smiled. "At two different points in my life, I created a horcrux. My greatest friend, the man who saved my life on two separate occasions, destroyed the first. The second I destroyed after I killed my friend."

"Who was your friend," he asked, though he had an idea.

"It does not matter, not right now. We're discussing horcruxes. Suffice it to say, my greatest friend also created a horcrux, which I destroyed before killing him. I imagine you can guess who my friend was. Can you imagine that person creating a horcrux?"

Harry was sure Gryffindor was the friend and he could not imagine his house founder killing a man in cold blood. "How did he create his horcrux?"

"Let me explain what a horcrux does first. They do extend the life of the person who creates them, but they do not last forever. Their life span depends on the power of the witch or wizard, and on the container used to house the part of the soul. My heir used artifacts of my old friends and I, magically powerful artifacts. It is not unimaginable that the fragment of his soul would be safe for well over 150 years. The diary, which you destroyed, was probably close to the end of its shelf life when you destroyed it."

"What happens to the horcrux?"

"Nothing happens to the horcrux. It is the fragment of the soul that is destroyed. Without the life energy and magical energy of the wizard, it cannot sustain itself. It dies, fades away into nothingness. If the person created it with evil intent, it will 'live' in limbo, unable to become a ghost but also unable to move on. If the person created it with noble intent, it will wait for the rest of the soul and reunite upon the death of the creator. The soul, now whole again, will move on. In either case, good or evil, the object lives on, as it would if it were never made into a horcrux."

"A 'good' person understands the horcrux is not a tool for immortality. They do not create it for selfish gains. They create it for the greater good, sacrificing their ascent into the after life so others may not suffer. My friend created his after saving me. Can you think of why they created their horcrux and how they came to be able to create it to begin with if, according to you, murder is required to split the soul?"

Harry pondered the questions. The first seemed easily answered. "Your friend was worried about you slipping back into your old ways. He wanted to protect you from yourself as well as from others."

Slytherin nodded. "Excellent deduction Potter. How about the second question."

That was not easily answered. He assumed no one act spilt the soul, save creating the horcrux. Murder established intent, dark intent obviously. If one murdered and then created a horcrux, they were doing so for nefarious purposes. What would serve the same purpose, except by establishing noble intent?

Harry snapped his fingers. "He saved your life! Murder marks a person's intent as evil but saving a life does the opposite."

"Correct. By saving my life, Gryffindor could create a horcrux, which he did. At least a century could have been added to his life, giving him time to watch and protect me, from others and myself. As the oldest of the founders, it also let him work on the castle and ensure he would live to see it finished."

Harry was floored. He never imagined Gryffindor would create a horcrux, but it made sense now that he understood they were not necessarily dark objects. But he still wanted to know more about what happened after the physical body was killed.

"What happens after a person is killed?"

"You have an idea. A vaporous substance is left to walk the earth. It cannot stay in the body if life functions of the body cease to work."

"So even with a horcrux, a person can die a natural death."

Slytherin nodded. "The physical body can die of old age, though a powerful wizard like my heir or Dumbledore can live very long. But once the body dies, the soul still walks the earth. A choice is then made: move on or walk the earth. Most 'light' people choose the former, unless they are still concerned about the welfare of their friend, family and/or community. Most dark people do not even know or care that they have a choice. They didn't create them for fun. They want to live forever. My heir did not make a choice; he fled to he could live to fight another day."

"But you cannot live long in this condition, even if you leech off the life of other creatures. The body is not meant to house two souls. Quirrell was given a death sentence once my heir forced their bond. Perhaps you may have noticed that Quirrell aged far quicker when my heir was bonded to him. The body needed to compensate for two souls, and give one was as powerful as my heir, he aged that much quicker."

"So when Voldemort drank unicorn's blood, he wasn't trying to keep himself alive, but Quirrell?"

Slytherin sneered. "Good lord! You never told me that one before, nor did Ravenclaw." He spat, as if trying to get a horrible taste out of his mouth. "Yes, that was for Quirrell. His body must have aged terribly fast."

"Then, even with a horcrux," asked Harry, trying to get back on task, "the 'main fragment' of the soul so to speak, will pass on eventually, or go into limbo."

"Correct. Without a body, it will perish faster then the protected fragments. However, once it is forced into limbo, those fragments in the containers will immediately pass on. They cannot be used to resurrect the body again, not without the main fragment. The ritual used to create a new body is something of an enigma to me. I never had to use my horcrux before. There are Norse, Hindi, and Pacific Island rituals that supposedly were used to save a body that had been horribly ravaged. If the main fragment of the soul could be solidified enough to take a human form, however primitive and frail, I suppose any of those rituals could be used to create a new body. Judging by my heir's return, I suspect he found a way, with his own dark twists of course."

Slytherin eyed him oddly for a moment, but the look was gone so quickly Harry thought he might have misread him.

"I don't think there is anything else for tonight Potter. Take the third book from the right on the fourth shelf. It will tell you more about horcruxes, more then that bloody piece of drivel your friend read. We'll talk more on Monday."


	36. Chapter 36

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 36

_February 1998_

_Of all the blasted, accursed luck _Severus Snape thought bitterly as he seated three of the most unwelcome visitors he ever had the misfortune of entertaining. One was unavoidable, given his position in Hogwarts. The other two…he scowled beneath his impassive mask.

After seating the others, he looked expectantly at the first visitor. Only when he bowed his head did Snape sit, even though this was his office. "My lord," he said differentially. "Lucius. Bellatrix." The former jerked his head slightly. The latter looked angry. But then again, she always looked somewhere between angry and murderous. Snape was not afraid of Bellatrix; he knew he could best her because he knew just what buttons to press. However, that did not mean he wished to waste his energy.

Voldemort looked at him, his red eyes glowing like embers, trying to overpower his occlumency shields. Snape projected a false front, as he always did, but protected it well enough Voldemort wouldn't push through with ease but not too well as to raise his suspicion. In time, the Dark Lord sat back.

"Severus, I want to congratulate you on the work you have done, controlling the excesses of the wretches who make up Dumbledore's Army," he hissed. "Without the Carrows, I must say I expected you to lose control. Perhaps you were right all along. They were liabilities."

Snape shrugged. "They are children my lord. I suspect murdering professors was too much for the mudblood. She has not been seen for days. Neither has the blood traitor. However, loyal Slytherins captured Longbottom. He is being retained in the dungeons." Under his desk, Snape carefully fingered something in his pocket.

Voldemort did not move, or even seem to breathe. Then he hissed with pleasure. "Excellent. I want to see him personally when we are finished." He turned to Bella. "How would you like to destroy the last of the Longbottoms?"

She smiled, which enhanced her features. A stranger may be attracted to her at that moment. Snape knew that look to well. "I would relish the opportunity my Lord," she purred.

Voldemort turned back to Snape. "Will there be any difficulties?"

"My lord, I'm afraid there will be. Unfortunately, I have not been able to discover every beacon from where the wards originate." He pulled out three large rolls of parchment and unfurled them. "According to the oldest blueprints Dumbledore possessed, there are different beacons throughout the castle. Even with your help, I have only been able to find five." He pointed to the north, south, and southwest towers and two opposite ends of the dungeons. "And I have only been able to disable three. Until I discover all of them—Dumbledore once let slip there were seven—and disable them, the wards will respond to the emotions of the students. It is such an torrential wave of emotions, I cannot overcome them myself." He looked again at Bellatrix and Lucius. "With competent and powerful help, the problem may at last be solved.

He braced himself for a round of torture. The dark shadow that always surrounded Voldemort was pulsating with fury. But the curse never came. "I wish to see these five beacons at once," he said.

Snape rose to his feet and bowed. "As you wish my Lord. If you will please follow me."

He led them through the castle and showed them all five points on his map. At each, Voldemort waved his hands and wand over them, muttering spells. The two that weren't disabled did not react to his spells, which obviously infuriated him. "What magic is protecting these? I've never seen charms like this."

Snape carefully did not smile. "My Lord, I'm not entirely familiar with it either. Trial and error worked on the other three. Unfortunately, the founders did not work together and used their own spells. This is ancient magic. That is the most difficult aspect to overcome. However, as I said, with competent help, I have no doubt the spells will be broken. Then your Excellency can rebuild the wards as you see fit."

Voldemort grunted, still furious he could not solve the problem on his first attempt. "Very well Severus. I will expect weekly reports on your progress. The castle must be completely in my control in case the Ministry attacks or Potter returns." He put his wand in his robes. "Now, take me to Longbottom."

Snape bowed again and led the Dark Lord down to the dungeons, trying not to sweat.

He needn't worry. From several yards away, he could hear Longbottom's screams of pain and the bellowing of curses from two people. Bella smiled, eager to add her expertise to the torture.

Longbottom was in terrible condition. Both eyes were black and leaking blood. His face was lacerated and bruised. Several teeth were missing and he seemed to have bitten his tongue in half. His body was no less ravaged. Fingernails had been ripped off, acid had been dripped on very intimate places, and general signs of abuse were all over him.

Through it all, he smiled when he recognized Snape's voice. "Evening Headmaster. Here to watch," he said, though it was garbled what with all his wounds. Bellatrix stepped forward quickly, her little dagger in hand. But when she tried to cut him, a silver shield kept her a few feet from Neville. She shrieked and beat on the shield, but it held.

"I told you Bellatrix, the wards have adapted and will protect the students from professors. Do you not think I would've handled Longbottom myself if I could?"

One of the torturers, Tracey Davis, turned on him sharply. "We can handle this Headmaster," she said proudly, a mad gleam in her eye.

Voldemort smiled. "You're doing well my dear. You serve your master and your race well," he hissed. She bowed at his praise, careful to avoid eye contact before resuming her work.

"My Lord, if we may return to my office," he said, opening the door. The dark lord nodded and left the chamber. Snape waited until the others were walking up the stairs before shutting the door. He heard several clicks and pops before putting his own protections over the room.

"As you can see my Lord, we are making progress," he said when they were back in his office. "I am utterly confidant I can eliminate all threats to your dominion with Bella and Lucius helping. And when Arthur Weasley dies at your hand, the school will be ready for you."

"Excellent Severus. You are a loyal servant. I look forward to hearing of your progress." Without a backwards glance, he left Bella and Lucius, flooing to the Malfoy manor in France.

"Very well," Snape said, maintaining his composure. "We have much work to do. Before we begin, do you have any questions about your assignments? Bella, you will teach Defense. Lucius, Muggle Studies. Work the students over as much as you can. But do not put yourself at risk and do not, should by some twist of logic you find yourself able to, kill a student. Every night at seven, we will discuss how to put this castle forever under our master's thumb. And," he added as an afterthought, "you will find copies of every blueprint, map, list, and chart on your desk that pertains to this castle and its protections. If you come up with your own ideas, bring them to my attention when we meet."

His two new professors left, Bella giving him a dark look as she left. Once he knew they were down the stairs and the gargoyle was in place, he turned on the portrait behind him. "Dumbledore, are they safe?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, they are quite safe. Neville's faux injuries have been healed and the room is well protected. That was an excellent idea, claiming to hold the leader of Dumbledore's Army."

Snape sighed with relief. "I'm just grateful he managed to contact Davis. If he had walked in on anyone but Slytherins torturing Longbottom, he would've been immediately suspicious. As it was, Davis did spectacularly." Snape noticed the wild twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. "What is so entertaining?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing Severus. If you have not noticed, it is for the better." With that, he walked out, leaving behind a very confused potions master.

* * *

After Snape and the others left, Tracy threw herself on her boyfriend, hugging him tightly. She was shaking like mad. "Oh Neville, that was terrible," she said burying her head in the crook of his neck.

Neville returned the hug, gently rubbing her back. "It's all right Trace. He's gone now. You did wonderfully."

She sobbed. She couldn't get those pitiless red eyes out of her mind. "How does Harry do it," she asked. "How can he face him again and again?"

"I don't know. Probably because he has to. Trace, can you heal me? I can barely see you."

She hiccupped. "Sorry love. Here." She waved her wand over his face and body, muttering different incantations. After about a minute and a half, he was back to normal. "There. Right sexy again."

Neville laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. Despite her nagging fear, or perhaps because of it, they didn't leave the room, staying in one another's arms.

* * *

_February 1978_

After his lessons, Harry read the thin book Slytherin requested his study. It took barely two hours to read cover-to-cover. It was exceptionally informative nonetheless. Among the more interesting points were that the more horcruxes a dark wizard created, the more their soul sapped their magical energy as well as their life energy. It needed to do something to compensate for being mutilated.

This produced two thoughts for Harry: just how magically powerful was Voldemort if he could have six horcruxes but still duel on even terms with Dumbledore and, related, did he sap strength from his followers, perhaps knowing his soul was sucking his magical energy. He would ask Slytherin for his opinion on Monday.

In contrast, a light witch or wizard's magic was untouched. Barring an extreme act of remorse, the dark wizard would never reunite their soul; the soul knew this and reacted as such. The soul of a light person knew it would one day be reunited and, even though the pieces were separate, the knowledge they were still one kept the connection alive. Of course, there is no record of a light person creating more then two horcruxes. Voldemort held the record for dark wizards with six, but it was only a one-point lead, which horrified Harry, though he didn't understand why.

Harry sat back, wondering if Slytherin told him all of this not just to explain magic depends almost entirely on the intent of the person, but also to convince him to create his own horcrux. Slytherin made no bones about despising his heir, or at least the monster he had become. At the same time, he readily acknowledged Voldemort was immensely powerful and skilled. Perhaps he was afraid Harry would lose the first round and needed insurance so he could fight round two. Despite his misgivings about the man, he doubted Slytherin thought so little of his abilities. More likely, Harry thought, he was afraid that Voldemort would somehow, someway, return even after Harry won. Like Gryffindor, Harry should put his ascent into the afterlife aside, at least temporarily, to ensure that once dead, Voldemort never returned.

Harry shook his head. He wanted the prophecy put to rest…permanently. If Voldemort killed him during their final, he would die with no regrets so long as he died giving his all. He refused to live on his knees, which was how he viewed living as a half-ghost.

As for staying alive to guard against a possible return, Harry wanted to get on with his life, get married, and have a family. He would of course try to become an Auror or maybe DADA professor, but he would not be the poster boy for the light side either. He wanted to _**live **_his life. Being the eternal protector of the world did not appeal to him in the least. If that was a selfish attitude to take, he couldn't care less. He thought he deserved to do what he wanted after everything that fate had forced upon him, even if not all of it was bad.

There was also a personal reason for not wanting to create a horcrux so he could guard against Voldemort returning. He did not want to bury any of his future family. As far as he was concerned, burying a child or grandchild was unacceptable, especially if it was because he was unnaturally prolonging his life.

No, he would not create a horcrux. Whatever the outcome, the prophecy would end when one of them was dead. And if Harry had anything to say on the matter, he would not be the one moving on.

He had a lot of life yet to live.

* * *

After a spot of breakfast with his friends, Harry joined his parents, godfather, and pseudo-uncle in the Room of Requirement, which looked no different then when James taught him advanced transfiguration and image conjuring.

"All right, so before we begin, do you lot have any questions about what Lily and I have been learning?"

All three started barking questions, prompting Harry to clap his hands, issuing a booming, magical blast of sound. "One at a time," he yelled. "Sirius?"

He looked at Lily and Harry, and then at James and Remus, both of who nodded fractionally. "How in Merlin's name did you convince Dumbledore to let you take private lessons?"

Lily looked ready to answer but a small cough told her to leave that question to him. She looked skeptical and she was sure she would not like his answer. He didn't see a way around that, though he hoped something he did later would make her feel better.

"I wasn't completely honest before." _Nor am I being completely honest now _he thought. "My parents are enemies of Voldemort's. Fairly significant enemies. They sent me to live with Lily in hopes Voldemort wouldn't find me. Well, he did and, as you all know, I've battled him three times so far. It has been decided that I need special training, being perfectly capable to take the NEWTs right now. Lily rearranged her schedule to join me for a few of my lessons."

There were a number of holes in his story, but they all swallowed it. "So what are you going to teach us," asked Remus.

Harry looked at Lily, who shrugged. "That depends on you all I guess. We're learning advanced offensive and defensive spells together. On my own, I'm learning true occlumency and legilimency, melee training, and something called instinctive magic. I think you'd be better off learning what Lily and I learn together. I'm not far enough along to be much of a tutor." He looked thoughtful. "Though it may not be bad to work on occlumency and legilimency, for you lot as well as for me."

The three men looked blown away. "Instinctive magic, Merlin Nate! That's right advanced stuff. Not even Aurors learn that skill, at least formally," exclaimed James.

"What do you mean true occlumency and legilimency," asked Remus simultaneously.

"You know Nathan, it might be best to start with occlumency. Dumbledore won't be happy we're learning all of this. He wasn't thrilled I was joining you. We can hide out intentions with mental shields. Besides, it has helped us learn the advance spells."

He understood she didn't really believe they could hide their intentions. That was for the others. Dumbledore would draw his own completely correct conclusions when he realized they were all spending time together. She was correct about it helping them learn advanced spells though.

"Fair enough. If you guys are okay with that, Lily and I can start there."

* * *

About six hours later, after a break for lunch, Harry thought they had made outstanding progress. The remaining Marauders all constructed at least three walls with a number of enchantments.

"Good work guys," Harry said, shaking hands with Sirius and Remus while James hugged Lily. "Keep working on building walls as you get a chance. We can set another time for later in the week."

Harry needed to work up all his Gryffindor courage for what he needed to do next. "James, would you mind staying to help Lily and I with a Transfiguration problem." Harry looked at both Sirius and Remus. "You're welcome to stay and help."

As he hoped, they shook their heads. "No, we'll see you later. I'm famished." With that, Padfoot and Moony left.

"So, what's the problem," asked James. Lily looked a question at Harry. She didn't know what he was doing. However, after Harry asked James to sit, her eyes lit up with excitement, excitement Harry didn't share. He was scared out of his mind.

He sighed, sitting across from James. "James, I…" He gestured, as if trying to find the words. His dad tried to prompt him but Harry was at a loss for words. Lily looked ready to hex him.

"What is it Nate," James asked, visibly confused by Lily's anger and Harry's weird behavior.

Harry sighed massively again. _Stop being so bloody melodramatic _Harry mentally chastised himself. "James, I hate to tell you this, but I was not honest with you, Sirius, and Remus this morning."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh. How so?"

"Well, my parents are enemies of Voldemort, and they are among the worst enemies he has. They also know why I am here, though only my mum really understands _everything_."

He really hoped James would just understand and spare him the trouble. But James just looked blank. "So, what isn't true?"

_Just say it and pick up the pieces. _"James, I'm…your…you're my father." There, it was said.

James looked at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. "Sorry. What was that?" He looked at Lily, as if this were a jest. But she looked serious.

"Love, Harry is telling the truth," she said, saying hi true name.

This only confused James more. "Whose Harry?" Then he got angry. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Harry sighed yet again. "No James. It isn't." He waved his hand over his face and head, removing all the charms and enchantments he and Lily cast the summer before. James jumped in surprise, almost overturning the couch on which he and Lily were sitting.

"You…you look like me," he said. Then he saw his eyes. He blanched, looking at Lily's eyes. She nodded again. James turned to Harry again.

His eyes promptly rolled back into his head and he fainted.

Five minutes later, after no magical spell or splashing of cold water revived James, Lily levitated him on the couch and snogged him mercilessly. Harry blushed, looking away.

It worked like a charm though. "Bloody hell," he said, his eyes glowing. "What? You're done?" Lily laughed and kissed him again. This time Harry had to endure moans from the both of them. He coughed loudly after enough time had passed that they should've passed out.

James looked upset but then his hazel eyes widened, remembering why he passed out to begin with. "How can you be my son? Why do you have Lily's eyes?" He looked at Lily, dawning comprehension evident in his expression. "Lily, you're his mum…I mean my wife…that is to say."

Lily put a finger on his mouth, making shushing noises. "Yes James. I'm sure you're not surprised we get married. Are you?" She asked that last question with a hint of protectiveness and determination.

James shook his head. "Of course not," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I've loved you since the first time I saw you on the Hogwarts Express. It was just waiting for you to see my undeniable charm." Lily scowled and twisted his arm none too hard. "So sorry. It was just waiting for me to grow up and stop being a bloody prat. Better?" Lily nodded.

James refocused on Harry, growing more serious. "Why are you here?"

For the next hour, give or take a few minutes, Harry recounted most of his life story, though not everything he told Lily. Several times Lily needed to hold onto James, like when Harry told him about Wormtail's treachery or the abuse he suffered at the Dursley's, or when he saw Voldemort being reborn. Harry also clued him in on a few of the new memories he had, wrought on by things he and Lily had done.

When he finished, James hugged him, not with the same enthusiasm as Lily but with a great deal of affection all the same. No words were spoken. None were needed. And Harry realized that he had been a git for waiting so long to tell James the truth.

* * *

After the trio let the Room of Requirement, James pulled Lily into an unused classroom when they were within sight of the Fat Lady. He cast several silencing charms and privacy wards. Lily casually added a few she knew that her boyfriend didn't.

"What is it James," she asked when they were sitting for about a minute.

James looked at her, looking deeply troubled. "How do you feel about this," he asked.

Lily nestled her head on his shoulder, holding his hand. "I hate everything about this situation." She felt James go stiff next to her, surprised by her answer. "I don't hate Harry," she said passionately. "I love him more then anything. And I'm glad he is here since…since it's the most time he'll spend with us that he'll remember."

James held her as she cried, the crushing hurt of leaving her son alone, even if she knew the man he would become. James muttered soothing support. He felt all the same pain she did.

"We have to do everything we can to avoid dying," he said firmly, even threateningly. "Train as hard as we can. That bastard will _never_ take our son from us, not while I draw breath. In fact, I need to tell Sirius and Remus. We'll need their help."

"No James," she exclaimed. "You can't tell Sirius or Remus, not until Harry is ready. I think he needed to tell you. His reaction made it quite plain it was eating away at him keeping you in the dark, even if he didn't know it. Sirius and Remus can wait. Please don't go behind his back."

"Lily, I don't want this to happen. We need help."

Lily shook her head timidly, hating the gesture, as she was sure he did too. "James, I think that no matter what we do, Voldemort will find a way to kill us. I hate the thought, but Harry said even after taking Wormtail out of the equation, he found a way to attack Harry and kill us. Harry did say I put up more of a fight, but we still die. And perhaps that is what needs to happen." She said that last in a tiny whisper.

James looked shocked. "Lily, do you understand what you're saying? We need to die! What would help Harry more then having us alive?"

"James, Harry is a time-traveler. He has come back to us. Something happens as a result of our deaths, something that I think, even if Harry refuses to talk about it, makes it possible for him to defeat Voldemort." She looked down, blinking back tears. "We need to do everything we can now to make sure he wins and lives a normal, or somewhat normal life. That's my priority now."

James looked at her, or through her rather. "How can we just let this come to pass?"

Lily grabbed his hand. "James, I'm not saying we stand by. You wouldn't do that if I did. We're going to do everything Harry says we did after we graduated. We'll get married and have our beautiful son," she said with a smile, which he returned. "We'll join Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix." Her eyes glowed with fiery determination. "And we'll send as many of Voldemort's followers to hell or Azkaban, depending, as we can. By God, if he wants us, let's give him as many reasons as we can, and take some of his followers down with us."

* * *

On Sunday, Harry and Lily worked hard to help James, Sirius, and Remus learn true occlumency and legilimency. To Harry's immense pleasure, James threw himself into the lesson, every drill with the same religious fanaticism that Lily did. And Sirius and Remus followed suit. He knew that, whatever happened, from the time they graduated until Easter 1982, they would be an unending headache for Voldemort and his minions.

After the weekend, Harry went through his lessons, eagerly looking forward not only to working with Lily, but his lesson with Slytherin about the Unforgivables. He wanted to know how any of them could be used for good.

* * *

"Good evening Potter. Have you done as I asked this weekend," asked Slytherin when his pupil returned from dinner.

Harry nodded. "I have sir. The book was very informative, especially the descriptions of the effects horcruxes have on light side people."

Slytherin nodded, staring at him deeply, as if x-raying him, though without the famous Dumbledore twinkle. "And do you have any questions?"

Harry thought for a moment and, to Slytherin's surprise, shook his head. "No sir, at least not about horcruxes."

"I would think you would have many questions. For instance, you have no idea what is involved in order to transfer a portion of your soul into a horcrux. Are you not the least bit curious?"

Again Harry shook his head. Again he surprised Slytherin. "No sir. I thought perhaps you want me to create a horcrux, or at least consider it. But I don't want to."

Slytherin arched an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"Certainly. It is relatively simple sir, at least to me. I want the last duel between Voldemort and I to be just that: the **last**. If I die, I will have no regrets, so long as I do my best. I don't expect that to happen though. I expect to win. And after that, I want to live a normal life. Malfoy told me earlier in the year that everyone will look to me to be some bastion of goodness, as they expected from Dumbledore. My reasons for refusing that title are different, and perhaps some would call them selfish. But I don't care what others think. After the prophecy is fulfilled, I want to live my life and just be Harry."

Slytherin eyed him, his thoughts impossible to read. "Such normalcy may be hard to achieve, perhaps even impossible."

Harry shrugged. "I'll try my best sir. I would like a family, to do everything with my children that my parents couldn't do with me. As I said, that matters more to me then being an eternal guardian. And before you compare me to Gryffindor, I would like to remind you that he cared very deeply for you, which influenced his decision. I have no such feelings for Voldemort."

Slytherin did not look at all convinced but seeing he would not sway Harry, he moved on to their next topic. "Very well Harry. Today we're going to study the Unforgivables, the three supposed darkest spells according to magical law. Such idiocy robs students of valuable knowledge. As we've discussed, intent is important to determining the loyalty as it were of a spell."

"Let's being with the Imperius Curse. Explain to me what the curse does."

"The curse puts the victim into a dreamlike state where they will do the complete bidding of the caster. The victim may even perform acts they normally physically couldn't, or at least the mental voice telling them they can't is overridden."

"Excellent. The curse then, can be used for good or ill, as the caster can order the victim to forget they ever saw the caster, which is magically safer then the Confundus charm because the Imperius curse cannot be traced. The spell can also be used, as you said, to eliminate certain mental restrictions that prevent a person to do what is necessary. It is not uncommon for healers to use the Imperius on their charges, if only in a mild form, when they are in training. They are not dominated by the Healers but their nerves are silenced."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Are there other uses?"

"In fact there are, though seldom is the incantation used. People and animals are not the only things that can be controlled. Spells, mostly wards and enchantments, can be changed using variations of the Imperius. For instance, my heir survived being entombed in fiendfyre when you dueled him in the village because he 'convinced' the magic to work in another way, to use its power to protect him from within as opposed to preventing him from escaping. This allowed him to keep the ward in tact, fooling you, but also allowed him to escape. Transfiguring spells, though it is a mental exercise and there is no incantation, as you have learned, is tied to the Imperius curse. The root word is _imperiosus_, meaning 'commanding, mighty, and powerful.' The vocalization of the curse was likely created for dark purposes but the root is neutral."

"Okay, I never looked at the curse from that way, but I understand the principal. Hufflepuff told me before that transfiguring magic involved manipulating the spell, overriding its function. I never made the connection though."

"Few do. Now, the second Unforgivable—the Cruciatus Curse—is a fundamentally dark curse. I will not ask you to retell the pain it causes. But I would like you to think of any way it can be used for good."

Harry thought, trying to think of any real reason to use torturing for good. After a few minutes, he shrugged. "I don't know sir. I can't imagine a person using pain for good."

Slytherin nodded. "You shouldn't, at least for the whole. For the individual though, you should think of one way." He looked at Harry speculatively. "Tell me, what would happen if I broke into your mind and probed for information about my heir. What would happen?"

"You'd be expelled from my mind and magic would force you endure a seizure of pain." Slytherin's eyebrow arched. "Oh, so the spell can be used for good, at least from the point of protecting information or people."

"Yes. People use torturing and pain in wards and protections regularly. The wards around Hogwarts can go so far as to torture, even into madness, a dark witch or wizard who tries to enter the castle, though they must be using a student as a hostage. That was my own personal touch. Again, intent and focus can allow a curse to be used for purposes beyond what is recorded in your textbooks."

"Additionally," he added as an aside. "In short, concentrated bursts, focused on a particular set of nerves or part of the body, such as the heart or central nervous system, the shocking sensation of the curse can act as a stimulant. Only highly accomplished Healers use the curse in this manner though, and either only with the consent of the person or their family or in cases of life or death. The jolt is not full proof, but 6 out of 10 people who have their heart stop can be revived with this curse."

That was unexpected. Harry could only remember the blinding pain. But when he looked back, there was a great shock of magic that rushed through his body when Riddle used the curse on him, like when he stuck a paperclip into the wall socket when he was younger, but a hundred times worse.

"Okay, what about the last curse. How can killing a person be used for good," asked Harry.

"Well, depending on the severity of the crime, death may be a deserving punishment. But that is for retribution, which is not necessarily good but instead may prolong the cycle of revenge. The killing curse Potter being used for good is again focused on medicinal purposes. If a person has a cancer, the cancer can be killed if the caster has incredible focus on what they desire. You can imagine that nearly no people dare try this unorthodox method of healing. Even the slightest hiccup would kill the person. The same goes if a person were to try and 'kill' an appendage, whether because it is infected by a disease or a curse. One miscue and they commit accidental suicide."

"Can it be used on wards, like the Imperius?"

Slytherin shook his head. "No. Magic can be manipulated but it cannot be killed."

Slytherin looked at his watch. "For the rest of our lesson, and for as long as needed until you have mastered this art, I want you to practice using these curses for 'good.' We will start with the Imperius.


	37. Chapter 37

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

_**Special Note 2: In this chapter, there are insinuations of both rape and a forced abortion. Neither is explained in detail but the insinuation is there. Please do not flame me. **_

Chapter 37

_Three Weeks Later—Early March 1978_

Sparks flew wild as Erwin's swords slashed and waved through the air, striking Harry's zei. Harry was on the constant defensive, his zei moving in a blur to block or parry every blow. Despite his speed, he could not even consider moving on the offensive.

Erwin cut down strong with his left sword. Harry blocked the blow, staggering a little as he absorbed the force. His zei were crossed in front of his face and the sword stopped an inch from his forehead. He pushed forward with all his might. For a fleeting second he thought he had Erwin pushed back on his heels.

But his professor was far too skilled. Though reeling slightly, he lunged forward, slashing at Harry's feet. The Boy-Who-Lived leapt, the bottom of his shoes bare millimeters above. Because his attention was on his feet, he didn't notice Erwin's foot until it slammed into his chest.

His head smacked against the floor, causing spots to dance in front of his eyes. Still, he managed to defend himself when Erwin lanced down, clearly intending this to be the killing stroke. Harry held the blow at bay until his wits had somewhat returned. He banished Erwin with a thought and jumped back to his feet.

Erwin flew through the air, but flipped gracefully and seemingly before his feet even landed, he was running at Harry, pressing the attack.

The duel, such as it was, continued. Harry valiantly held back his professor, but it was hard. As time passed, he pressed Harry harder, unleashing more of his considerable ability. Eventually, Erwin's sword bit through his defenses, cutting and slashing Harry. When his arms were crisscrossed with cuts, none to deep but stinging as sweat seeped into the lips, Erwin stopped the duel and let Harry heal his body.

"You did well Harry," he said. Harry rolled his eyes, waving his left hand over his right arm. "I'm quite serious. You have only been using the zei for two and a half weeks. Your form is raw but your speed, agility, and alacrity are top notch. My only suggestion is you continue to learn how to follow the flow of a battle."

"But this isn't a magical fight. There are no shatter points to sense."

Erwin shook his head. "There are shatter points Harry. You just aren't looking for them. You need to get rid of the notion that shatter points are something magical. Everyone has an emotional shatter point, just as every structure has a physical shatter point. When we're fighting, I want you to ignore your magic and listen to your gut. In my experience, the better your instincts are in non-magical situations, they better you magical intuition. We give muggles a bad rap but they have adapted to the world and generally can do everything with technology that we do with magic. They have a harder view of the world we do. We should try to bridge the gap."

Erwin put his swords in sheaths hanging on the wall and poured two glasses of water. Handing one to Harry, he drank a few sips, appraising Harry. "I think in another two to three weeks, you'll be a fairly polished fighter with the zei. Not a master, but very good all the same. Then we can move on to swords. How does that sound?"

Harry nodded, downing the rest of his water in a gulp. "Ahh. That sounds good." He sighed with a little relief, pressing the cool glass to his forehead.

Erwin chuckled. "Ever heard of cooling charms," he asked with amusement.

Harry snorted. "You're the one always telling me to use my instincts. Well, my instincts told me to press the cool glass to my forehead."

Erwin smiled.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after a nice lunch on the grounds with his mum, dad, and surrogate uncles, Harry was back in the Room of Requirement. His two lessons in this block were going perhaps the swiftest of any of the others. Before he started, he could perform nearly every spell he knew silently and perhaps half of every spell he knew without a wand without the spells losing any power. It had been short work for Ravenclaw to bring both of those percentages up to one hundred percent.

Thought magic had been another beast, but after six weeks, Harry could cast many mild to moderate spells with just a thought. Because this art depended so much on his development in true occlumency and legilimency, Ravenclaw often asked Guo to begin her lessons half and hour to an hour early.

Tonight though, when Ravenclaw was about to dismiss Harry early, he made his move. "Excuse me Professor," he asked, holding back.

Ravenclaw looked at him and smiled. "What is it Harry?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you about your diadem," he asked, coming straight to the point.

Her face showed nothing of what she was thinking, but Harry imagined the gears were turning. She must not have expected this question, at least right now.

"Harry please give me a moment." Harry nodded politely, but Ravenclaw was already moving towards the portrait room. She looked in, shook her head, and then called Slytherin, who appeared with a _pop_. There was a brief conversation between the two before they both approached Harry.

"Potter, Rowena says you wish to know more about her diadem. What is it you want to know?"

Harry looked at Slytherin, wondering if he should say anything. Then he cursed himself for being an idiot. Ravenclaw already knew he was looking for horcruxes. There was no need for secrecy. "I want to know more about it: how did it become lost, when was it last seen, and," he paused, "do you think it may be a horcrux."

Slytherin nodded. He already knew this was what Harry wanted to know, and judging by her expression, so did she. "Harry," began Ravenclaw, "my diadem was lost shortly before I passed away." She looked very sad. "My daughter was self-conscious that she was not as wise as I. Her peers constantly needled her. It hurt me to see her so upset but, for all my wisdom," she sighed at the last word, "I didn't know how to help her feel better. She was an exceptionally bright witch, one of the best in her class. She didn't believe me. One night, in an effort to make herself wiser, she stole my diadem. I knew she did but said nothing. I didn't want it and she needed to figure out what she wanted. But I never saw it again."

"My daughter is the ghost of Ravenclaw now. I've talked to her. She told me how she spirited the diadem out of the country, to the forest of Albania. She hid the diadem, thinking it would hurt me most. It didn't. Losing my daughter hurt the worst. A year after she returned, she passed away, of what I don't know, even to this day."

Harry listened to the last part with half an ear. It was not that he did not feel bad for her. He did. But if her daughter hid the horcrux in Albania, it was almost certain Voldemort found it.

_In fact _he thought, face lighting up, _that was probably why Voldemort came to Dumbledore to interview for the DADA job. He surely would've known Dumbledore was Headmaster and, by extension, never allow him to become a professor. That snow was just a ploy; Voldemort hid the diadem, or some other horcrux but I'm sure it was the diadem. And that was what Dumbledore meant when he asked Voldemort to give him a straight answer and tell him what he really wanted by coming to Hogwarts. He sensed something was amiss._

Then another idea hit him, something he never considered, but that now seemed obvious. Voldemort, in his diary and semi-corporeal form, said that in order to find the Chamber of Secrets, he searched nearly every inch of the castle. He was so utterly confidant he knew every secret of the castle, it would not be unreasonable to assume he would delude himself to believe he could hide the horcrux in the castle and that it would never be touched. The perfect hiding place! Right under Dumbledore's nose.

Leaving the two founders, he ran to the portrait room, hoping Hermione and Ron were there.

"Hermione," he yelled when he saw she was in the Room. There were dozens more people in there though, so many the Room looked divided into a mini-castle, with a wing for each House. That surprised him a little because that implied at least a dozen Slytherins were hiding in the Room.

He shrugged. "Hermione, I need to talk to you, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna. Can you remove my portrait? And Dumbledore's too," he asked, thinking it would be worthwhile to have the former Headmaster present.

Hermione nodded. Like Harry, she was ignoring the questioning murmurs from the others. None of them recognized Harry, nor could they. But why was a portrait asking for a private conversation? With Dumbledore no less.

"It will take a moment to bring Neville and Ron up from the dungeons. And Ginny is in potions right now. She'll be out in half an hour. Can you wait?"

Harry shook his head. "Send a message to the others. Tell them to get here as soon as they can."

"Harry! You know with Bellatrix and Lucius in the castle, students can't go wandering about the halls without above average protection. Ginny doesn't have your invisibility cloak."

Harry scowled. He really did not want to exclude her from this meeting. "Can you get her yourself if I teach you a spell?"

Hermione shrugged. "That depends on the spell. I already know the disillusionment charm. That won't work."

"I wouldn't think it would. This spell is different and much more effective. The incantation is _absorção buraco da luz_. You need to enunciate the second 'a' in the first word. Since this is your first time, move your wand in a circle in front of your chest."

Hermione looked stunned. Since when did Harry know spells she didn't know? But she could ask him that later. First…"What will the spell do?"

"It will create a black hole of sorts. All light and energy will be absorbed around you, making it as if you truly are not there. Dumbledore and Voldemort both knew the spell. It was how they could hide themselves so well. Now try it out."

Hermione waved her wand in front of her chest, practicing the motion for a few seconds before saying the incantation. Nothing happened on her first few tries. Harry offered suggestions and instruction. Finally, after the twelfth try, she cast the spell. A number of people gasped. You really could not see her, even a vague outline that happens from disillusionment.

"All right. Send a message to Ron and Neville and bring Ginny and Luna." Harry didn't know if he was talking to her anymore.

Maybe three minutes later, Ron and Neville emerged from a tunnel. Another minute later, Luna appeared behind a tapestry. Lastly, five minutes later, Hermione and Ginny appeared out of thin air. "Blimey Hermione. What was that spell?"

"There's no time," Harry broke. "Please grab my portrait and Dumbledore's and take us somewhere private." His friends did as he asked and they were safely hidden in a chamber one of them requested.

"All right Harry. What's happening," asked Hermione.

Harry told them the history of the diadem and his suspicion that Voldemort hid it, or at least another horcrux, in the castle the night he interviewed for the DADA job.

"The only problem is that I do not really know what it looks like," said Harry. "The statue is not exactly perfect in the common room."

"I know what it looks like," said Luna dreamily. "My father is trying to make another diadem."

"Great! So now we need to figure out where he hid the horcrux in the castle. Professor," he said, turning to Dumbledore. "Do you have any ideas?"

Dumbledore looked deep in thought. "I have an idea Harry. Tell me, what did you do with Severus' old textbook?"

"I dumped it in the Room of Requirement." Dumbledore's eyes widened but Harry didn't make the connection. Judging by their expressions neither did Ron. Neville and Luna didn't understand either, but they didn't know the secret to Harry's potion success last year.

Hermione and Ginny shared a look and said "Boys" with identical tones of exasperation. "Harry," began Ginny, "the Headmaster is saying the diadem is in the Room of Requirement."

"You are correct Miss Weasley. I knew he had done something that night, but I never in my wildest dreams suspected he would hide a horcrux in the castle. The magic of the Room must be what protected the school from the dark magic of his horcrux."

"Brilliant then. We just need…"

Ginny interrupted. "Harry, there is no 'we.' You don't know what it looks like, not for sure. Luna will have to find this horcrux." She looked at her friend contritely. "That is if you don't mind."

"Of course not. Will we need to evacuate everyone first?"

Harry shook his head. "No, you should only need to ask for a room to hide something so no one will find it. That's what I did to hide the book. My guess is Riddle did the same. Are you sure you want to go alone?"

Luna nodded. "I am."

Ron shook his head. "No Luna. Someone needs to come with you. In fact, I'll go. You guys be ready with the sword." With that, Ron helped Luna to her feet just as a door was appearing across from the door to the main chamber and the other refugees.

It was tense in their absence. They made small talk, mostly about what Dumbledore's Army and their Slytherin allies were doing. It was tougher now with two of Voldemort's inner circle in the school. But Snape was keeping them on a leash, even if Bella and Lucius didn't know it.

And Harry told them about his training and everything he was learning. They all looked jealous.

Then Neville asked the question uppermost on all their minds.

"When are you coming home?"

Harry frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know Neville. I wish I did. I hope it's soon. I don't know what else to say. I feel terrible not being there, but there is nothing I can do."

His three friends looked at one another, having a private, silent conversation. "Harry, you didn't apologize or blame yourself," said Hermione. "Why not?"

Harry thought about that. "I don't know actually. Well, I suppose I do. I've learned not to blame myself for everything that happens in my life. Some things, even I hate them, are beyond my control. This is one of them. Rest assured, I would give everything and anything to be with you so you wouldn't have to suffer alone. But the world is it is, not as we wish it were."

Dumbledore gazed at his favorite pupil with surprise. That was a very mature attitude to have. Harry must indeed be learning much from his tutors.

Ten minutes later, Luna and Ron returned with the diadem floating in front of them. "No one look at the gem in front," Ron warned, looking very pale. "Who would like to do the honors?"

Neville started to rise but Ginny held him down. "I'll do it," she said, iron in her voice. She grabbed the sword and stood across the diadem, behind the gem. But as she raised the sword above her head, it started spinning, cackling madly.

A wisp of smoke slowly leaked out of the gem, then it flowed faster, like a tornado. His friends screamed as the specter of Voldemort loomed over Ginny.

"Good evening Miss Weasley," he hissed. "You remember me don't you?"

Ginny fell to her knees, screaming as a terrible montage played out in her mind, the worst memories Riddle gave to her, ones she only saw in the worst of her nightmares, tormenting her again.

* * *

_Tom Riddle, now fifteen, walked through the dungeons, a demonic, primeval joy coursing through his veins. It was well after midnight. They would all be asleep._

_No one was studying in the common room. Riddle walked over to the staircase to the dorms—the __**girls' **__dorms. Levitating off the floor, he floated to the first year dorm, entering without making a sound._

_After casting several privacy wards and silencing charms on the doors, Riddle clapped his hands, waking the young girl who screamed. His eyes glowed like embers in the darkness as he looked at their scared faces. Blood rushed to his member, though lust did not spur him on. His intentions were pure evil._

"_Good evening ladies," he hissed, his clothes and theirs dissolving. Their screams would never be heard by anyone outside that room, not ever._

_Except for Ginny Weasley._

_

* * *

_

_The image shifted to an older Voldemort, standing before an obviously imperiused and pregnant Bellatrix._

"_You will kill my child," Voldemort ordered, cold hatred in his eyes._

_Bella nodded, lifting a dagger Voldemort gave her just for her._

_Ginny screamed as the blade pierced her stomach again and again._

_She knew that the next day, when Bella realized how she disappointed her lord—who __**so **__wanted a child—she would slip into madness, forever seeking his approval and forgiveness through her dreadful acts._

_

* * *

_

"Someone help me," yelled Ron, trying to wrench the sword out of her hand. But she clung to it for dear life. "Ginny! Damn it to hell…GINNY! GIVE ME THE SWORD!"

Ginny's screams abruptly stopped and her eyes flew open. Even the specter Voldemort looked surprised. Ginny leapt to her feet and, before anyone could stop her, she cut the diadem in half, a thick, coppery substance flowing from the cut gem. The specter Voldemort screamed and disappeared.

Hermione reached out, catching Ginny just as she fainted.


	38. Chapter 38

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

_**Special Note 2:Yesterday I posted Chapter 38 incorrectly. I apologize for any confusion. I deleted the previous chapter and posted the correct chapter. If you read the first half yesterday or today, skip to the section labeled **_**Hogwarts 1998**_** Please don't hate me too much. Enjoy the chapter and please review.**_

_**Also, for those that are concerned about Harry and Ginny, remember that the story is not done.**_

Chapter 38

"How is she," asked Harry. After Ginny fainted, the others carried her to her chambers in the Room and, after making sure she was well protected and everyone knew to leave her be, came back to talk to Harry.

"She's asleep now. Neville gave her a potion," said Ron, shaken more then any of the others. "Damn Voldemort."

"Does anyone know what happened to her? I know dark horcruxes can defend themselves and Voldemort surely put his own 'improvements' on them. But I've never heard of a horcrux speaking so candidly with a person."

"Is suspect it had something to do with her interaction with the diary five years ago," said Dumbledore solemnly. "Somehow the soul in the diadem recognized the taint on Ginny from the diary. As for exactly what traumatized her, I cannot say for sure."

"It forced her to relive the memories from the diary, and maybe threw in a few new ones just to scare her," Luna said.

Everyone looked at her. "How do you know that," Harry asked.

"She told me that the diary gave her troubling dreams, about a person doing terrible things to children and animals. She never said their name, but it was Voldemort. Poor Ginny."

Everyone was silent for a while, no one sure what to say now. Nothing seemed important. But Harry realized their work was not done and he needed his friends. Had he considered his position, he would've realized how Dumbledore felt when he asked Harry to do some monumental task while he watched, doing something else, something still vitally important but perhaps, even likely, less dangerous.

"Guys. Thanks to Ginny, we've destroyed four horcruxes. There are two left, right sir," he said, looking at Dumbledore.

The former Headmaster nodded without hesitation. "Yes Harry. But I thought the diadem was the third."

Harry shook his head. "No sir. Earlier in the year I retrieved Hufflepuff's cup from Wool's Orphanage. It's no longer a threat. That leaves the locket and Nagini."

"What the hell is a Nagini," asked Neville.

"Not what Neville…who. She is Voldemort's familiar, his snake. She is his latest horcrux. Personally I'd love for the damn thing to be run over by a truck but that isn't likely to happen. She needs to die soon though, and I think it will have to be before I return. I'll never get close to the snake, not with Voldemort already aware of how much I am learning."

"But how can we kill the snake," asked Ron.

Before Harry could answer, someone came into the portrait room. Harry didn't need to look; he felt Slytherin's presence. His friends didn't gasp or cringe; they knew he was one of his tutors. Only Dumbledore showed some surprise, in the form of a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse my interruption," he said, sounding not at all apologetic. "With what Potter has told me about the snake, and what I learned from his memories, there is only one possible way to eliminate the snake…"

"Forgive me Salazar, but if the snake were to perish, would Voldemort not create a new horcrux. Or worse: learn the truth of Harry's mission."

Slytherin glared at Dumbledore. "Do not interrupt me again Albus," he hissed. "As I was saying, there is only one possible way to eliminate the snake without drawing the wrath of my heir."

"How," asked Hermione.

"You will need your Headmaster's help. Your souls are not tainted, nor do you have the knowledge or power to do what is necessary."

"Hey, we're plenty capable," growled Neville.

Slytherin rolled his eyes. "Do not delude yourself boy," he snapped. "My heir is more knowledgeable then you could hope to be, and much more powerful. School children will not be able to fool him. And as I said, none of you have tainted your souls. You would not be able to perform the spell effectively."

"And what is the spell," asked Dumbledore, stopping the feud. "I was not aware of any spell that could destroy a horcrux."

Slytherin arched an eyebrow. "Rally Albus. You have never heard of the killing curse?"

"The killing curse would work on Nagini. I admit you are correct on that score. But we are left with the same problem—Voldemort would, at best, create a new horcrux. At worst, he would realize Harry's true mission."

Slytherin nodded. "As I said before. But there is another spell—_Essenz Überweisung_. Considering the present Headmaster's status in my heir's ranks, I suspect he has tainted his soul enough to be able to do what is necessary. Do you disagree?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, much as it pains me to say, Severus will be able to perform the essence transference spell. But he will use an inanimate object," Dumbledore said forcefully. "I will not ask Severus to kill another sentient being."

Slytherin smiled mockingly, both men ignoring the young adults present. "You know that will not work Albus. The essence cannot be transferred from a living creature to anything other then another living creature. If the Headmaster tries, the parasitic soul fragment will attach to him and mark him for death. It must be transferred into another living being. Use a house elf or something," he said dismissively.

Hermione bristled. "_Excuse me_. Those are innocent creatures…"

"Use Kreacher," said Harry, cutting off his friend.

"Harry! How can you be so callous?"

"Would you rather he use a student," Harry asked pointedly. "It's not as if Snape can traipse out onto the grounds and bring an acromantula into the castle."

'Why the bloody hell can't he," she hissed. "Or why can't he do what you did when you destroyed the cup?

"If he does that, the snake will die. We can't let that happen. Hermione, there is no better option."

"Would you throw Kreacher to the wolves if he hadn't betrayed Sirius?"

"That question is irrelevant Hermione because if that hadn't happened, this would be a different world. As I said before, we have to deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it to be."

"You've changed Harry," she said, jumping to her feet, going for the door. "And not for the better!"

SLAM!

"I'm sorry everyone," Ron said, though he didn't quite meet Harry's eyes. "I'll go talk to her."

"Harry, what was that all about," asked Neville.

"Nothing. Guys, we'll talk more later. Don't worry about Nagini. I'll come up with something."

* * *

It had been two days since his disagreement with Hermione. His best friend hadn't responded to any of his overtures, which pained him. With Ron's help, he explained the history of S.P.E.W. to Luna (Neville already knew) and how Hermione felt about Kreacher. Neville sided with Harry. Luna was more circumspect, but then she always was.

"Maybe there is a reason why Kreacher needs to survive," she said.

"But why? He's old, racist, stubborn, and would not hesitate to throw me to the wolves if I offered him even the smallest opportunity. He cannot be trusted."

"Forgive me Harry, but that is very short-sighted," she said with startling bluntness. "You want Kreacher dead because, in your mind, he led Sirius to his death. Ignoring that misconception, your prejudice—yes Harry, you are _prejudiced _against Kreacher—is overriding your good sense. Kreacher may be able to help you in the future Harry."

"She is right," said a silky voice from behind him.

Harry worked hard to keep anger from his voice. "Sir, what information could Kreacher possess that is of any use to us? For the last decade and a half, he lived like a hermit in that house, with only the mad portrait of Sirius' mum for companionship. He was only with the Malfoy's long enough to betray Sirius. What could he possibly know?"

Slytherin did not change his impassive expression, but Harry sensed the fire in his eyes. Harry would regret his outburst, probably very soon. But not right now. "Potter, having lived so long in that house, do you not think he would have an intimate knowledge of every trinket and treasure therein?" He did not wait for Harry to reply. "And having that knowledge, do you not think, in an effort to maintain an artificial closeness with his mistress, he would project his love onto said trinkets and treasures, so that if one day a group of people were to, as he would see in his delirious frame of mind, raid the house and throw out his treasures, he would not go mad with grief and do everything in his power to keep as many of the treasures as possible? Does any of that sound logical Potter? And, given the Black family status in the magical world, its heritage, prestige, and age, would it not be reasonable to assume that, in the course of due events, a treasure belonging to history would find itself in their home?"

Harry looked dumbstruck. None of that had occurred to him, though it was obvious that it should've. When he admitted as much, Slytherin sneered. "Again you let personal prejudice and emotions override common sense. That is unacceptable." He sounded predatory.

"I don't think I should ask Kreacher about the locket, assuming he knows anything, until I return," Harry said, hoping to reduce his sentence, if only slightly. "I am not there to exercise control over Kreacher. I would not be surprised if he ran off to Lucius or Bellatrix and tell them what I asked."

Slytherin nodded. "That would be wise. When loyalties are in question, it is always best to keep risks to a minimum. However, your plan to have your friends eliminate the snake should go forth." He looked at Neville pointedly. "This will be a chance to prove your worth my young lion. Raising a rebellion in a castle, protected by wards and a friendly Headmaster, is one thing. Capturing my heir's familiar without him noticing, and removing the soul hidden within, is another thing entirely."

Neville met his gaze. "We just might surprise you."

Slytherin hissed. "We shall see." He left without a backwards glance.

After his tutor left, Harry asked Neville how Ginny was recovering. He was worried about her, very much so. Not for the first time since he ended up in the past, he remembered how much he cared for her.

"She's getting better. Both Snape and Madam Pomfrey have attended to her. They hope she'll wake up today or tomorrow at the latest."

"Good."

His friend cocked his head, a knowing look in his eye. "Do you want to talk with her when she wakes? I don't think she'd mind at all." He smiled. "No sir, I don't think she'll mind at all."

Harry was immensely proud of himself for not showing any of what he was thinking. "If she'll have me, I would like to see her. If not, I understand."

Neville smiled. Harry hadn't fooled him a bit. "I'll let Ron know. And I'll let you know when she wakes."

"Thank you Neville."

* * *

The wait was excoriating. Harry, as he had been trained to do, put the thought in the recesses of his mind and focused on his work. All of his tutors knew he was preoccupied all the same, so they did not push him.

"You really do care for her don't you," Lily said as they were leaving the Room, their lesson with Gryffindor concluding early not least because Harry's mind was elsewhere. Harry, after glancing at the portrait room, nodded. Lily smiled and rubbed his arm gently. "I knew almost from the start, when you thought I was Ginny. You trust her without reservation. She'll be okay Harry."

He nodded jerkily. "I know," he said, without conviction.

Lily hugged him. "Do you want to have lunch here? I don't think James would mind. And he can make it sound like a date with me, avoiding Sirius and Remus."

Harry thought about that and nodded, not wanting to leave the Room. Lily smiled softly. "Wait here. I find James and speak to the house elves. Do let me know if there is any change."

While he waited, Harry checked on Ginny through her portrait. Anger bubbled in his stomach, warring with the pain, as he looked down upon her still form. Her skin was normally very fair. Now it was the same color as the white cotton sheets on which she was lying.

Her chest rose slowly, as if every breath was a battle. If he had not been looking so closely, he would not have noticed her breathing at all.

"Harry," said a voice softly from the main chamber.

He tore himself for the portrait and plastered a wide smile on his face. "James, it's good to see you."

His dad raised an eyebrow. "Harry, you call Lily mum. You can call me dad. And wipe that damn smile off your face. You don't have to be strong for me." As if to prove his point, he walked over and hugged Harry. A few tears silently rolled down his cheeks. It should not have been enough for James to notice but he did. He extended his arms, looking Harry right in the eyes, which were now dry.

He frowned a little. "Harry, you can be real with us. I would be devastated if Lily were lying somewhere in pain and I couldn't do anything to help her."

"But you would be strong," Harry said, his voice level, or at least it would sound that way to people who didn't know him. James did not know him all that well, but he knew Lily better than anyone save her parents. He knew by the look on her face that Harry was trying to cover his pain.

"No, I would be a right mess," he said, without any hint of falsehood. "Sirius and Remus have seen me cry, just as I have seen them. But they were there to support me, just as I was there to support them. That is what friends are for. And family," he added quietly.

Tears glistened in his eyes, but Harry resolutely refused to let them fall. He could not fail to see the look of hurt on Lily's face and the one of mild disappointment on James'. He mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry Harry," said Lily, moving closer. "What was that?"

He sighed. "Nothing. It's not important."

His parents, for good reason, did not look convinced. But they would not force Harry to talk.

* * *

After lunch, despite their misgivings, Harry continued his lessons with Ravenclaw and Guo. He was at least forthright with his explanation: he needed something to keep him preoccupied.

As with his morning lessons though, his heart and mind were not fully in the moment. Both tutors expected nothing less. And considering his impressive progress to this point, one day was not going to hurt anyone.

Harry was about to take leave for dinner when the siren for the portrait room started going off. His tension immediately evaporated when he saw Ginny sitting upright. She still looked pale but she smiled when she saw Harry.

"Neville just left with the others. How did you find out how I was so fast?"

"How are you," he said, ignoring the question.

She smiled weakly. "I've been better." She suffered a small coughing fit, which brought some color back to her cheeks. But it was an unnatural gray. Harry cursed the fate that kept him separated from her.

After a couple of minutes, she recovered, the gray hue in her cheeks fading. Inexplicably, she flushed. "How I must look right now," she said, patting her hair, which was matted to her head.

"You look beautiful to me," he said with no originality but great sincerity.

She blushed a deeper shade of crimson, almost looking back to normal. "Then why did you push me away." She had not expected to sound so accusatory. But now that the question was asked, she wanted an answer.

Harry's eyes widened. He obviously had not expected this either. "Do you really want to talk about this now," he asked, trying to duck the issue.

She was not having any of that. He should've known better. In fact, he did know better. "Yes Harry, I want to know," she said.

He sighed, knowing she would not like his answer. "I didn't want you to get hurt," he said, avoiding her eyes. "Hermione and Ron weigh heavy enough on my conscious. I wouldn't be able to stand putting you at risk."

She looked exasperated. "So, in your minds eye, being a member of the most notorious family of blood traitors, a member-in-waiting of the Order of the Phoenix, and part of the group that destroyed the prophecy two years ago and fought off the attack in Hogwarts last year is not enough to be on Voldemort's list of enemies."

Harry heard her disbelief but thought he was still right. "No. None of those offenses would make Voldemort target you _personally_. But being Harry Potter's girlfriend. That's a whole different animal. Death Eaters aren't going to come after you, at least not by themselves. You can beat the majority of his Death Eaters. But you cannot beat him and _that _is why I left you. I refuse, absolutely refuse, to be so cavalier with your life."

She looked angry and hurt. "So, besides thinking I cannot handle myself, you don't trust me to make my own decisions."

"That's not what I said at all," he exclaimed.

"Then what the hell do you call it? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl Harry. I can make bloody well make my own decision as you who I wish to see and whom I don't. Do you think I'm ignorant to everything you've faced and the obvious danger being associated with you brings? I know! And I don't care. I _never _cared."

Her eyes blazed with power. Harry just now noticed too that her hair was flying, as if caught in a breeze. He had never seen this side of her. It was a little scary, if he was honest with himself.

"And if you think I can't handle myself, you'd damn well better think again," she said forcefully. "Bill, Charlie, and Percy have taught me everything they know. Mum has also taught me a great deal. She was top in her class when she graduated and the only thing that kept her from the Auror academy was that she was pregnant with Bill. I'd give old Moldyshorts a run for his money."

Harry laughed at the Moldyshorts crack. He imagined what Voldemort would do if ever called that to his face.

But he quickly sobered. "Gin, I know you can handle yourself. It's one of the things I love about you. But aren't you worried…"

"No I bloody am not worried about _anything_. I've had that monster possess me Harry, just as you have. I've seen the darkness he can perform, both magically and non-magically. I hate him for it but it doesn't change my feelings for you. You need to pull your head out of your arse and realize that your friends—Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Fred, George, and countless more—despise Voldemort just as you do. Many of them have lost loved ones to him and his followers. Fate said you would have the power to defeat Voldemort. It did not say you had to do it alone."

"She's right you know," said a voice he hadn't heard in a while.

"Bloody hell. Does anybody in this damn room consider knocking," he said, turning to face Malfoy. "Well, say your say. What do you want?"

Malfoy smiled indulgently. "A few minutes of your time." He bowed to Ginny. "I'm glad to see you're well. Do you mind if I borrow Harry?"

She shook her head. "No. See if you can talk some sense into him." She ignored Harry's betrayed expression. "I need rest anyway," she added, around a massive yawn. "I'll see you in the morning Harry," she said, a caring smile on her face.

Harry returned the smile and the affection. "Good night Gin. I'm glad you're better too."

"I know Harry. Now go on."

Harry waited until she was breathing softly and followed Malfoy. "What is it Draco," he asked after closing the door.

Malfoy shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought it was wise to let Weasley rest. You also should go to bed as well. As she said, you can see her in the morning."

* * *

_Hogwarts March 1998_

Tracey Davis patrolled the dungeons around the Slytherin common room. As the 7th year Slytherin prefect and Head Girl, she could do this after curfew without arousing suspicion.

It was a fairly boring night. Her boyfriend and his bunch were lying low, which did not surprise her given one of their best was still recovering from some battle or something. Neville hadn't told her much about what happened to the Weasley girl. She hoped she was all right all the same.

For the fifth time that night, she walked past the Hufflepuff common room entrance, wishing for the life of her that the night would just end. She was dog-tired.

The thought barely left her mind before a loud scuffle broke out one or two floors above her. It must have been terrible for her to hear the booms through the stone floors. Whipping out her wand, she ran to the stairs, carefully hugging the outer wall, looking for an ambush.

She knew when she reached the right floor when balls of light and energy rocketed past the doorway. Several people were yelling and a few were screaming. She smelled burnt flesh through the smoke and dust. Her stomach lurched. She also smelled the latrine smell of bowels being released. People were dying.

Peeking around the edge, she saw several Slytherins; all but two of them (spies) were not members of her group. They were still loyal to Voldemort. Leading the group of Slytherins, thankfully, was Blaise Zabini. Like Snape, he was spying the "loyal" Slytherins for Dumbledore's Army and, thanks to his prodigious skill, infiltrated the upper ranks of said group.

Tracey, having no other option, joined the Slytherins fighting Dumbledore's Army. However, like Blaise, she was able to bellow deadly curses while casting non-threatening ones. Snape had personally instructed them when asked not long after the start of term. Together, she and Blaise saved many from horrible fates.

Then everything went to hell. Bellatrix burst from behind a tapestry, a look of mad pleasure on her face. By herself, she was worth five normal Slytherins. With her, the battle quickly turned against Dumbledore's Army. It was also nearly impossible for her and Blaise to save the others; Bellatrix would easily notice the treachery.

Still, even with a dozen students at her feet, Bellatrix looked furious. None of her killing curses could do more than knock them unconscious. Meeting Tracey's eyes, she smiled wickedly. "Please come here Miss Davis," she asked, her voice laced with honey.

Fortifying her occlumency walls, Tracey stepped forward. "Yes Professor."

Bellatrix smiled still, a mad gleam in her eye. "I can't seem to kill this rabble. Pity," she said with a simper. "Perhaps you would not mind punishing them."

Tracey nodded, seeing no harm with the request. She would fake their sentences until eventually she could pass them onto the DA. "Of course Professor. Crabbe, Greenwich. Please escort our guests down to the dungeons."

"Oh no my dear," Bellatrix interrupted, that mad smile on her face. "I don't want them tortured. I know you can do that well. No, their treachery to their creed and their race deserves something more." She pulled out her dagger and threw it to Tracey who caught it with trembling hands. "I want you to kill them."

Tracey looked at the dagger, at Bellatrix, and at the captive students. They were magically silenced but their eyes were staring at her. To her dying day, she would never forget those eyes.

"Professor, the headmaster has explained it is impossible to kill students. However much they deserve their fate, I'm afraid neither you nor I could follow through with the punishment. I wish it were otherwise Professor. I do. But there is nothing I can do."

Bellatrix smile widened and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Perhaps a test," she said cheerfully. "Ah! Here we go." She manhandled a third year Gryffindor to her side. Even though he stared defiance at everyone—every Slytherin at least—silent tears streaked his cheeks.

Bellatrix petted his hair. "Try it just this once." She caressed the boy's cheek. "Such a pity but if the rabble that parrots Dumbledore's nonsensical ideology callously throw their seed corn into the fight, we cannot be blamed if they should perish in battle." She looked at Tracey again, no smile, not even a mad grin, was now on her face. It was set and hard. "Now kill the boy."

Tracey didn't—couldn't—move. She looked at the knife and at the boy, blank shock on her face.

Bellatrix growled. "Do it now Miss Davis. Prove your loyalty to the Dark Lord." She pulled the boy's hair back, exposing his throat.

Before Tracey could be punished, three people jumped from behind the tapestry, firing a barrage of curses. Many of the Slytherins, who had not bothered with protections, were dropped quickly. A few managed to fight, but they were overwhelmed when more members of the DA appeared, coming out from behind portraits and under suits of armor.

To Tracey's horror, Bellatrix used the poor fourth year as a human shield. Members of Dumbledore's Army made her their primary target and so cast their worst curses. But it took them too long to realize they were destroying an innocent youth.

After a few minutes, Neville bellowed stop, though they all kept their wands trained on Bellatrix. "Let go of the boy you bitch," he snarled. The little boy was just barely alive, his chest rising and falling in ragged, short bursts.

Bellatrix ran her finger over the cuts on the boy's face, her nails digging, deepening the wounds and drawing more blood. The boy was so out of it though, he didn't even stir. Tracey nearly threw up when she licked her finger clean. Several of the other people with Neville couldn't stop themselves. The acrid smell of bile warred with all the others in the hall.

Neville turned a sickly shade of green but his wand never wavered. "Let the boy go," he said again, his voice strong despite his obvious discomfort.

Bellatrix smiled. "Oh no ickle Longbottom. Aunt Bella is just getting started." With the smallest flick of her wand, a roiling cloud of smoke raced around everyone present. Tracey felt a wrenching pull on her waist as the shadow forced everyone together, binding them together. In an odd twist of fate, Tracey was pressed up against Neville. She chanced a look at him but his eyes were focused only on Bellatrix, who was sauntering at them, a saucy flick in her hips that looked more terrifying then seductive.

"What do you plan to do to us Bella," asked Neville, glaring at his parents' almost-murderer. "You can't kill us. You have to know that."

She smiled. "Oh I do. That's why I'm not going to kill you." She lowered her gaze. "I'll let the darkness take care of that. If it does not kill you, you're bodies will be so ravaged, death will be a welcome release."

She conjured a chair and sat. "And I do think I will watch."

* * *

"God damn Bellatrix," snarled Snape after several of the portraits gave him their report. Snape drummed his fingers on his desk, unsure of how to proceed. Every minute he dawdled pushed those students closer to annihilation but without a plan, he would expose himself as their savior and be run out of the castle. That would be disastrous.

"Severus," called Dumbledore, urgency in his voice. "Severus, you must act quickly."

Snape glared daggers at Dumbledore. "Do you not think I understand that Albus. But what am I to do? Those students will need an organized rescue. None of the other professors trust me and I can't lead the charge, which would be the only way to prove where my true loyalties lie. What can I do," he repeated.

"I would suggest you use your patronus to send a message to the other professors."

"They will know my voice Dumbledore! They will think I am leading them into a trap."

"Then do not speak the warning yourself. Use someone you know they can trust." Snape looked utterly lost. Dumbledore stared at him, telling him that all the pieces were there if only he would put them together.

Then, without conscious thought, Snape realized to what Dumbledore was referring. He walked over to a silver, 3-D representation of a line inside a circle inside a triangle: the symbol of the supposed Deathly Hallows from the children's fables. At his touch, the triangle spun around madly and suddenly a door appeared on his wall under Dumbledore's portrait. The pathway led him to the Room of Requirement.

Right now, even with a number of their group in the grips of pending death, the Room was quiet as students slept. Quietly, so as not to disturb them, Snape headed for Potter's portrait, which had taken residence in their medical wing.

Ginny Weasley was sleeping. A few incantations ensured she would not wake until morning. Considering her state, she needed all the rest she could get.

"What are you doing Snape," asked the man he wished to see.

"Potter is there any way you can bring your mother here. As soon as possible."

Potter raised an eyebrow but he heard the urgency in his voice. "Give me a moment," he said, fingering a galleon in his hand. "If she has the coin, she'll come," he said with confidence.

And he was right to be confidant. Not five minutes later, an irate Lily stormed into the room, hair flying every direction at once. "What the bloody hell are you playing at Harry," she raged.

Harry held up a placating hand. "It isn't me who needs to see you." He pointed at the portrait of Ginny. She was surprised to see Snape staring at her. Instinctively, she pulled her robe tighter around her body.

Snape carefully did not smirk. "Lily, there is a problem with the students, one that I cannot help directly. I'll conjure a patronus and I need you to record the message. Can you do that?"

Harry and Lily both shared looks at hearing something was happening with the students. "O course Sev. But how will that help? Won't it alarm the other professors?"

Snape shook his head and conjured a patronus: a beautiful doe. Lily nearly fainted, Harry just barely catching her. "Sev…that's…you have…we have the same patronus."

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face for a fraction of a second. Then, as his patronus was staring at him intently, he gestured towards Lily. "Tell the professors that Bellatrix is holding students captive outside the staircase to the Slytherin common room. She is using shadow magic. They will need patroni." After Lily gave the message, Snape sent the doe on her way. He shared a look with Lily, saying nothing, before leaving in hurry.

* * *

Professor Flitwick was sleeping soundly when an intensely bright light suddenly burst to life in his room. Muttering darkly, he waved his hand. The light never wavered.

"What sort of prank is this," he grumbled, eyes adjusting to the light. It was a patronus obviously. It was a doe.

Flitwick did a double take as he reached for his wand. He knew of only one person who had a doe patronus. But how could it be here now?

When it spoke, it removed all possible doubt from his mind that his former prodigy was somehow speaking to him from beyond the grave: _"There was a battle outside the stairway to the Slytherin common room. Bellatrix is holding the students captive with shadow magic."_

The doe cantered out of the room, plunging the room back into darkness. Flitwick wasted not time, grabbing his wand and racing as fast as his little legs could carry him down to the entrance hall.

* * *

Bellatrix watched gleefully as the shadow magic ravaged the students. It was not going to kill them, not outright. But she knew this was a way to circumvent the Hogwarts protections. How her master would be pleased!

Before she could relish the prospect of being rewarded, ten patroni came suddenly from all directions, smashing into the shadow circling the students. All ten disappeared instantly, but their collective force was enough to break the dark hold on the students. Before she could cast another curse, a doe patronus appeared in front of them, protecting them.

It held her attention long enough for ten professors to surround her. She could do no more than submit before Vector summoned her wand and McGonagall summoned her dagger. Still, she would not give up silently. "Whatever you do to me, the Dark Lord will avenge on you blood traitors ten fold."

"So you say," said McGonagall, her hard face set in lines of utter loathing. "Right now we'll take you to Snape. Your master will have no excuse to hurt the students." With a flick of her wand, Bellatrix was bound and gagged. "I'll remove this to the Headmaster," she practically spat the sentence. "Take the students to Poppy. They would be better if we found them sooner but they should recover."

Leaving her peers to handle the students, McGonagall levitated Bellatrix up to flights of stairs. But instead of turning down the hall towards the Headmaster's Office, she veered right until she found a classroom that suited her. Once the door was closed, she transfigured stone warriors to guard the door and put up a number of protections. She took pride in the bewildered look Bellatrix could not hide.

"Yes my dear," she said with acid courtesy. "You learned from the foot of your maniacal master and I learned from the one wizard he ever feared." She jabbed her wand against Bellatrix's cheek. "And if you think he only taught me the light magic, you are sorely mistaken." She bent low, until her face was an inch from her captive's ear. "And if you think I have the reservations my mentor had, you would be wrong there as well. If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is child abuse. You will have no memories of this night. But before you can forget, I will make sure you have much to unremember."

Bellatrix's eyes widened in fear, something she had not felt in some time, as McGonagall removed her hat, her hair falling to her shoulders.

* * *

Snape listened to an account of what McGonagall was doing to Bellatrix from Peeves. He did not doubt the poltergeist, whom was gloating about the harm being done to the psycho witch. As Dumbledore's former apprentice, just as Bellatrix was Voldemort's former apprentice, he knew she was a formidable witch. He was glad Bellatrix was getting everything she deserved. And he was confidant McGonagall would make sure she would never remember this night.

He would need to see to the Slytherin students loyal to the Dark Lord. They could not remember this night either lest it find its way to Voldemort. But that would be a simple matter; they were recovering in the hospital wing. He could remove their memories tomorrow morning.

He turned around in his chair, looking out the window. Dumbledore was gone, presumably giving a report to Potter.

His thoughts didn't stay with Potter though, not for long. His mind drifted to Lily. She looked just as he remembered, more beautiful then any woman he had ever seen. If only he had not been so foolish as a teenager. He squandered a chance at winning the heart of the love of his life. He had been afraid that such affection would weaken him. Such ignorance. Now he had only is memories.

* * *

As McGonagall unraveled each layer of Bellatrix's mental defenses, plunging into the recesses of her mind, she saw horrifying images, worse then anything she ever saw in her life, either in person or, during her brief stint as an Auror, as an investigator.

Yet there was one that, while as disgusting as many of the others, struck her as useful. It was a not a repressed memory, at least not in the conventional sense. She had experience with repressed memories: they were hidden behind barriers that the person purposefully created inside a jumble of other memories and feelings, usually memories associated with diametrically different emotions, the better to mask them.

An outside force repressed this memory. Not surprising considering what it showed of course. It had been buried by negative emotions, to say nothing of a deluge of dark wards and protections. It had been further protected because it had been buried in a common well of memories of her greatest achievements. Bellatrix was not nostalgic and would so have no reason to pry into her past successes, and so no reason to sift through the protections in place for that store in her mind.

As her last act before wiping all memory of this night from her mind, McGonagall moved the memory into another place in her mind, one where she held memories of her first day at Hogwarts, her first induction into the Death Eater ranks, and the first time she met Voldemort. In other words, all of the memories that made her happy. She did not have the power to undo all the dark protections on this memory. But, if forced to reside with happy memories and happy emotions, the protections would be removed naturally. What would she think when she realized the truth about her master?

_A/N: As always, please review._


	39. Chapter 39

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

_**Special Note 2: I apologize for the long layoff. Life has gotten very much in the way of my writing. New puppy, new girlfriend, promotion. Lot to handle. For those who have stayed with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'll do my very best, not that things have settled, to be more regular with my posts.**_

Chapter 39

_Spinner's End, Easter 1978_

A man peered through the window of the small suburban home for perhaps the tenth time in the last ten minutes. As before, there were only two lights on in the home across the street: one in the master bedroom, one in the downstairs living room.

"Wonder why we're waiting," asked a second man, twirling his wand with anticipation.

The first man shrugged. "That's not our call Briggs. We have our orders." The man could speak not more reverently then a disciple discussing matters of the Lord.

The second man—Briggs—rolled his eyes, though he made sure his companion noticed. Still, he didn't let the issue lie. "Stands to reason Murdoch that the longer we wait, the more likely it is we'll have troubles." He pointed at the house across the street. "Those are some right powerful wards, even if they aren't what you'd call complicated. It'll take time, time I'd rather spend now when things are quiet."

Murdoch turned his dour eyes on Briggs. "We have our orders and shall essay to carry them out as fit," he said in tones that brooked no argument.

Briggs turned away before his mouth got him in trouble. Then, just as he was about to step out of the room, a green flare erupted over the house. He was out the door, invisible and silenced, right on Murdoch's heels.

* * *

About half a mile away, on a little hill overlooking two tiny villages, the Dark Lord watched his minions move forward. Of course very few of his followers could see the attack moving forward; only he, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Avery were proficient in magical sight.

As he watched the Death Eaters surround the house, he smiled under the shroud of darkness of his hood. They did not know he was here, nor did they know any other Death Eaters were here. They thought this was simply a raid against the muggle family of a prominent foe. They did not know that they were bait. If he were lucky, he would kill the muggles and their daughter and nephew. If he were blessed, he would take out the village and a sizable number of Aurors.

"Milord," purred Bellatrix. "They are dealing with your ward."

"I see," he hissed. He waited exactly three minutes before casting an arrow of midnight black at a weak point in the ward. It hit the other wards protecting the home with a ripple.

Now he waited.

* * *

_Hogwarts, Easter 1978_

_Happy Easter mum _Lily said in her mind.

_Happy Easter sweetheart _replied her mum. _I so love the Christmas gift Nathan gave us._

Lily smiled. _I know. I love it too. How's dad?_

_He's well. He's your dad_. Lily could picture her shrugging. _He's been a little on edge lately. I'm not sure why._

_I wonder what's troubling him._

_I couldn't tell you dear. I'm embarrassed to say that, considering how long we've been married. But I can't read him now._

Lily couldn't imagine what would be troubling her dad. Maybe it was something with work.

_Don't fret yourself dear _her mum said. _I think he's having a problem at work is all. Of course it may be nothing._

_You're probably right. _Later—not very much later—Lily would realize the tragic error in their judgment. _How are Petunia and Vernon?_

_They're doing well as a matter of fact. They're stopping by tonight for dinner. I hope…_

A deafening bang cut of her mum. Lily had her bed and desk overturned and warded within a heartbeat. Her housemates looked at her, fear and shock on their faces.

"What's going on Lily," asked Kim, a pretty redhead much like Lily.

"I don't know," she said, her wand never leaving the door, her body still mostly hidden behind her barricade. "We should…"

She never said what they should do. Harry yelled for her from the common room. She raced to the door, threw it open, and ran down to her son. "Ha…Nathan, what's the matter?"

"Come with me. We need to hurry." He grabbed her hand. She was perforce to follow. Only when they were reaching the Headmaster's office did she dig in her heels. "Harry," she said in a whisper though there was no one around to hear her. "What's the matter?"

"Your parents are in danger. The wards I put up at Christmas are being attacked. They're not down yet." He looked ready to say more but he shook his head. "I'll explain the rest in a moment. We need Dumbledore."

The gargoyle, perhaps sensing their urgency, perhaps wisely determining Harry was in no mood to dawdle, jumped to the side even before they were within five yards of the door. Harry bounded up the stairs two at a time; it was all Lily could do to keep up with him but she managed.

Harry slammed open the door without waiting for admittance from within. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, reading something closely. He looked at Harry and Lily with a raised eyebrow. "Mr. Potter. Miss Evans. To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning visit?" He sounded only slightly ironic.

"Sir, Lily's parents are in danger." He explained his wards and his theory about why they had been tripped yet very little else had been done to take them done. Lily looked horrified at the possibility.

"Sir, if there is any way to stop the Aurors from advancing, you need to do it immediately. This is a trap, nothing else but."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a few seconds. In lieu of answering, he walked over to the fireplace and called out to the Auror office. Whatever he was searching for, it must not have been there. "Alastor is already gone," he said when he pulled his head out of the fire. "He will have sent Aurors the moment he learned so many people had apparated so close to her home in such a short period of time. Lily is one of only two witches or wizards in that part of the country. And only her home would be a target. When the scouts ran into trouble, he would commit everything available to the battle."

"Very well. We need to help him as soon as possible," said Harry. "Round up as many Order people as you can and meet us there."

Dumbledore snapped his head up. "Meet you there? I think not Mr. Potter. You are not going on your own."

Harry rose to his feet, motioning for Lily to do the same. As she rose, she noticed with a start her clothes had been transfigured into something much more functional for combat. Harry had transfigured his clothes in a similar fashion, again without any visible effort.

"Headmaster, we are adults and our family is in danger. You have no authority to stop us from leaving. If you attempt to exercise power where there is none, we will not be responsible for the consequences."

Harry did not raise his voice or even glare at Dumbledore. All the same, Lily took a discreet half step back. Dumbledore didn't move, but she was surprised he didn't rebuke Harry. Instead, he sighed wearily. "Very well Mr. Potter. I will not stop you. But be careful until the Order and I arrive."

"Of course we'll be careful Headmaster." It was a thumping lie. Lily, Dumbledore, and Harry knew as much. But the Headmaster waved them away.

"Harry," Lily asked when they were nearing the entrance out to the grounds. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to apparate into your house. I've arranged the wards so a blood relation can come and go. The only problem is that Voldemort's ward will be immediately removed, as will my own. Their magic cannot coexist, not after we punch through."

"Won't Voldemort attack us then?"

Harry shook his head. "No. His forces are dealing with the Aurors. I suspect he'll know when we breach but he won't be able to do much, not without disengaging himself from the battle. A few Death Eaters, the decoys who were—are—trying to take down my wards, will probably try. We can take them though. I want to remove your parents as quickly as possible. Hopefully after they are safe, the Order will have arrived."

When they reached the gate, Harry said a string of Latin. The only parts she understood were the names of the Hogwarts founders. It must have been a spell Ravenclaw taught him because the wards sparkled around the entrance.

He grabbed her hand. "Come on. The wards will reengage in a few seconds." Before she could ask where they needed to apparate, she felt the tug at her naval. A couple heartbeats later, she was in her den. "We need to find your parents quickly."

They found both of them in their bedroom. Her dad nearly shot her but her shield kept her safe. "Thank God you're both safe," she said, throwing herself into their arms. Her mum kissed her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Lily, what's happening," asked her dad urgently.

"They're Death Eaters—followers of Lord Voldemort," answered Harry. "We need to leave quickly. We're taking you to Hogwarts. Come on."

Lily held her mum's hand and followed Harry. Her dad brought up the rear. Harry made sure to keep a magical eye on him. He did not want to lose him, especially since he hadn't thrown away his weapon.

When they reached the landing, he held up his hand, keeping them on the stairs. "Lily," he began.

But she nodded before he said anything. "I know Harry," she said thickly. She let go of her mother's hand and stepped next to her son.

* * *

Voldemort cast three killing curses in quick succession. Three Aurors fell.

Moody was leading an impressive counterattack all the same. His men may not have had the advantage of surprise or cover. But they did not lack for spirit. In the end though, spirit couldn't carry a battlefield, not by itself. Aurors continued to fall far out proportion to the number of Death Eaters down.

As he was taking aim at another Auror, a red flare burst into existence over the Evans' home. Voldemort watched the spot closely.

The seconds dragged by until finally a…

Voldemort screamed with fury when another red flare erupted in the sky. He threw his arms wide, a blast of magic throwing everyone with a ten-yard radius flying away like rag dolls thrown by a precocious toddler.

He descended on the house, murder in his eyes.

* * *

Once Lily was at his side, Harry grabbed her hand. Together, they collapsed the stairs underneath the Death Eaters in disguise. The Death Eater masquerading as Jacob tried to cast curses at the teens as he fell, but they went wild.

When they crashed on the ground, Harry bound and gagged one. Lily did the same to the other. Then Harry noticed Lily was crying. He embraced her. "I'm sorry mum," he said, his voice thick with unshed tears. He kissed the top of her head. "I wasn't fast enough."

Before Lily could say anything, if she was going to say anything—if she _could _say anything—Harry stiffened in her arms. "He's coming," he said in a horse whisper. Harry pulled Lily around the corner into the kitchen. "Lily, we need to apparate somewhere close by. Can you get us out of here?"

If she didn't nod, he would get them out but they would reappear at number five. That was too far from the battle. But Lily grabbed his hand, wiped her eyes, and apparated just as Voldemort blasted the doors down.

They reappeared outside a small, ramshackle house. A middle-aged man with greasy black hair streaked with gray was past out in the yard, a whiskey bottle lying just out of reach of his left hand.

"Lily, we need to get back to the house." She looked deflated. Harry could hardly blame her. It was hard for him; it undoubtedly was ten times harder for her. But they needed to help.

She followed him at his second urging. He hoped she would be all right to fight.

Like a thief, she seemed to pick the thought from his mind. "Those _bastards _will pay," she ground out, red and gold sparks shooting out of her wand.

"Good," Harry said, though now he was afraid she would take dangerous risks in her anger. He was smart enough to realize he couldn't comment on that without drawing a piece of her ire. "Stay close to me."

They picked their way through the shrubbery, careful to avoid notice even though they were both protected from almost all forms of detection. The ground they passed was largely unharmed. The Death Eaters were engaging the Aurors about a quarter of a mile east. Harry realized they were surrounding the cul-de-sac where Lily lived.

They had put up an incredible defensive perimeter. Muggle authorities were ramming headlong into magical wards that destroyed their cars on contact. When the men fired their guns, their bullets ricocheted impossibly fast, gutting the cops before they knew what was happening. Only the Aurors could break through the wards.

That did not mean they were advancing. Concealed trenches, cursed mines, and old-fashioned muggle guerrilla weaponry magically modified to accommodate the battlefield (Harry watched three Aurors fly threw pieces of hemp, "tied" to stars it seemed, cut their heads off at the jaw, nose, and neck) made a hash of the Auror advance. All around injured Aurors screamed for their mothers or lovers. Some just screamed.

Having no clear shots at any Death Eaters—their black robes and invisibility charms worked almost as well in the early twilight as his and Lily's protections—he searched out Moody. After a few moments, he found him conferring with two Aurors, one with red piping on his collar, Albus Dumbledore, and—his heart soared—Charles and Dorea Potter.

Lifting their charms, they ran up to the delegation. "It is good to see you Nathan and Lily," Dumbledore said, as if nothing more unusual then a quarrel between two teenage girls was happening. Harry respected the Headmaster's calm without wishing to emulate it. People were dying; he should have _some _reaction.

"My dear," said Dorea, walking over to Lily, holding her arms gently. "What happened?"

Lily looked down. "We couldn't save them," she said, her voice thick with tears. Dorea pulled her tightly to her chest, muttering soothing words. Lily's resolve broke then, the tears she was trying to hide bursting forth.

"Dumbledore, we need to get Voldemort out of here," Harry said, his eyes focused on his mum all the same.

"We're waiting, as it were, for you Mr. Evans. We are going to approach Voldemort's forces from three sides. I will command the Order of the Phoenix, Moody the Aurors, and I will ask you to take charge of half a dozen of the fastest draws in the Ministry and two squads of Gatling guns."

"What are Gatlings?"

"They are basically the magical equivalent of muggle machine guns. They are charmed to fire a particular spell until their magical charge is depleted. Like machine guns, they can be reloaded. You will have two of the best crews."

"Why do I need so much firepower," he asked, though he had some idea.

"You're leading the feint Evans," said Moody gruffly. "You're level-headed, calm, and a top-notch wizard. All the same, you're inexperienced facing Voldemort. You'll open the way for Dumbledore and I to ambush him."

Harry was ready to blow up but he clamped down on his anger. As far as Moody was concerned, he _was _inexperienced fighting Voldemort. Trying to assert he was capable would be more suspicious than helpful. Well, even if he had to feint in the beginning, he resolved to find a way to press the attack.

All that went through his head in the space of a couple heartbeats. "Of course sir," he said stoically. "I'll do my best."

Moody smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Atta boy. Hit 'em hard, keep 'em busy, and maybe we'll get the bastard." He didn't sound as if he really believed they could capture Voldemort. But he needed to buoy the spirits of his men. Dumbledore and Harry knew the truth.

"Okay. Clarkson, Swift, you and your squads are with the boy. McSweeney, Roosevelt, Wilson, Jackson, Smith, and Smith, you'll also be with the boy. I'll take the rest. Dumbledore, you'll know what to do."

Moody took his men immediately. Dumbledore hesitated. "Miss Evans, under the circumstances, I would like you to come with me."

Lily looked at Harry. "Why Headmaster?"

Harry and Dumbledore shared a look and Harry understood: Dumbledore wished to see how capable Lily was, or at least Harry judged that was his principal reason.

So Harry nodded towards Dumbledore. "Go ahead Lily. I'll be fine." She didn't move away right away but after a second—and before Harry or Dumbledore could chastise her for brooking delay—she went with Dumbledore. The Headmaster smiled at them both.

Together, Dumbledore and Moody cast several concealing wards and charms. Unspeakables attached to them cast more. The soldiers moved into place quickly: Dumbledore on the left flank, Moody the right, and Harry nearly in line with his grandparent's house. When he saw Moody's patronus, he yelled for the two Gatling crews to open fire.

When he was in primary school, he learned that machine guns were loud, almost terrifyingly so. These magical imitations were loud, but not overly so. But they pounded the shields in front of him. Against orders, he moved his men forward, joining the others firing curses. They said not a word. One—Roosevelt—tipped him a wink.

The Death Eaters seemed to think he was leading the next attack. They got out of their trenches or lifted their protection charms. With the rate of fire Harry's men were putting out, they seemed to be stronger then they were, which was of course the plan. Far too many Death Eaters were leaving cover.

Then Voldemort appeared, apparating on the scene. At first he tried to launch his own offensive. But he didn't count on Harry Potter. Harry shifted his own fire to Voldemort and ordered the six men with him to do the same. The Gatling men kept continued to pour fire on the rest of the Death Eaters. With no other option available, Voldemort cast defensive charms and shields to protect himself and his Death Eaters. But even his shields collapsed quickly under such pressure. He needed to continually cast new shields, leaving no time for offense.

Two minutes later, Moody's men opened fire with everything they had. The Death Eaters screamed with dismay as the trap descended on them. Unsure of what to do, their commander—Harry's blood boiled when he heard Lucius Malfoy's upper-crust drawl—ordered a push on Harry's men. Voldemort continued to cast shields, though he widened their perimeter. In so doing, he had to make them correspondingly weaker. But it was enough to allow his men to move forward. Even the combined firepower of Harry and Moody's units was not more then what the Death Eaters could bring to bear. And they had to move forward; if they offered their flank to the swifter, albeit weaker attack, they would be mowed down.

They were mowed down anyway. Death Eaters fell in droves as Moody's men tore at their flank. Harry's force was cutting down their fair share of scum too. And he was pushing hard for Voldemort. He didn't know if Moody was cursing him. If he was, Harry didn't care. He would not sit on the sidelines, not now.

They were roundly whipping the Death Eaters, Voldemort and all. Harry smiled nastily when Voldemort met his eyes. The Dark Lord's hood was raised. All the same, Harry could imagine his nostrils flaring in anger, his eyes mouth muttering imperfectly sweet nothings. And when the Order of the Phoenix opened fire, it was a rout. Harry heard Voldemort bellow retreat.

Harry had hoped Voldemort would stay and fight at least until his minions were dead. But he knew better. The only person who could lead the Order so well was Albus Dumbledore. Voldemort had his doubts whether or not he could beat Lily's nephew. He _knew _he could not beat Albus Dumbledore. Together…better to save the fight for another day.

He was not finished though. Before he apparated away, he threw two bones into the air. As they fell, they rearranged themselves into people—into Jacob and Emily Evans. They were not silenced; their screams of fright rang across the battlefield. Harry heard Lily's scream. But he focused on Voldemort.

The Dark Lord seemed to wait for Lily's scream. He cast two cylindric clouds of greenish black smoke. As the slammed into their chests and forced them into the ground. Blood and gore erupted from the impact.

Amidst Lily's wails of despair, Voldemort disappeared. No one—not Harry, not Dumbledore, and not Moody—tried to stop him.

_A/N: Thank you all for reading and please review._


	40. Chapter 40

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 40

_Hogwarts—April 1978_

Harry sat on the familiar hard chairs in the hospital wing, head in hands. He hadn't been able to sleep much during the night, staying by Lily's side. James stayed as well, though he had been able to sleep. He hadn't pressed Harry too much about the battle. Harry told him everything all the same, needing someone to whom he could talk.

After he finished, he looked at James, expecting anger. "Well, what are you thinking," he asked when his dad didn't say anything.

He looked out the window, thinking. "I'm thinking Voldemort is perhaps the biggest son of a bitch in the world. I'm thinking that I wish I had your abilities, or Dumbledore's, and that I had five minutes alone with that animal." He turned his gaze on his son. "Why do think he does it? Voldemort I mean."

Harry stirred. He hadn't expected that kind of question. "I honestly don't know," Harry said after some consideration. "It starts with being abandoned by his mum before he was born. At least that is how he sees it. Death is a terrible weakness to Voldemort. More than that, it is the one thing he fears more than anything else. His mum had magic but didn't use it to live forever. He doesn't want his powers go to waste."

His dad shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. Why does he murder 'mudbloods' when he is one himself?"

"His dad left his mum when he found out what she was, even when he knew she was pregnant. He distrusted muggles from then on. But I don't think Tom Riddle Sr. left her because she was a witch. I think he left her because she manipulated him. He didn't trust her, which counted more than any distrust he had for magic."

"It doesn't matter. Whatever his reasons, Voldemort would grow to despise his father in particular and all muggles in general. They represented the human side of him, something beyond his immortal Dark Lord persona. I don't think he can ever be a human, not like you and I. But I think that, without his lifelong war against them, he would have to question his humanity. It is something else of which he is afraid."

"So you need to kill him."

Harry shook his head reflexively. "No, I only need to defeat him. But yes, I don't think that can happen any other way besides his death. No prison will be able to hold him for long and I refuse to watch over him until he or I die of old age. So yes, I will have to kill him."

James thought about that. He winced a little but then he looked at Lily and his eyes flashed. "How are your friends doing with the project you told me about?" James didn't know about the horcruxes. Harry only told him that his friends were doing something that would help him defeat—kill—Voldemort when he returned.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. They've started thinking of plans but they haven't gotten very far."

"Why don't you help them? I'll stay here with Lily. I have that fancy coin you gave me. If something happens when you're not here, I can tell you. Go on. Shoo."

* * *

Harry looked over his closest friends, the leaders of the Hogwarts resistance. Even the leaders of the underground Slytherin movement were here.

"Harry," said Neville, taking charge of the meeting. "We've tried to think of ways to capture the snake, but nothing is easy because he normally keeps the thing by his side. As his familiar, it is bonded to him so even if we could move it, Voldemort would sense if it was harmed. Before we can even think of a plan, we need to figure out how to disrupt that sense without alarming Voldemort."

"There has to be a way we can do that," insisted Harry. "What types of things can we do to disrupt the bond?"

"There isn't much," said Ron. "Charms could work but Voldemort would notice if Snape or someone else tried to charm him. We also don't now if the bond is stronger since the snake is also a horcrux. Those charms we could use may not work."

"Is there a shield or ward that can cut them off from one another then?"

Hermione and Luna shook their heads. "Harry, it would have to be immensely powerful magic. And if we cast such magic, Voldemort would wonder why. But maybe…" Hermione said with a faraway look.

"Maybe what," Harry, Ron, Neville, and Blaise Zabini asked together.

"If we could use magic he isn't familiar with, that would block the connection."

"What magic is there he isn't familiar with Hermione," asked Neville.

Harry nodded. "I have to agree with Neville. Even love wouldn't work. He may hate it but he knows of it."

"But does he know about muggle electricity," she asked with a sly smile.

Everyone else looked confused. "Hermione," said Ron. "You've told us time and time again muggle devices won't work in Hogwarts because of the magical interference."

"I understand that. We would need to figure out how to circumvent that problem. But I did some work this summer with ward generators and electricity protection, like electric fences. They were on a small scale but they worked. I didn't test much because I had precious little time but my generators protected my house from the Death Eaters. They couldn't take down the electric barrier because they didn't know what it was. We could use that on Voldemort. If the magic is alien to Voldemort, that will confound his bond to the snake because he can't sift through it."

Everyone looked at one another, considering her plan. It was genius, which was no surprise. But there was still the problem of how to use the electricity inside the grounds of Hogwarts.

"There is one person who may know how to do that, if we can that is," said Hermione.

* * *

Severus Snape brooded over a map of the ward generators for Hogwarts. Lucius and Belatrix were sitting with him, pondering the map as well.

"The magic for this one in the southwest tower," Snape said, pointing to the icon representing the generator, "is protected by a magic that I have not come across before. It is rudimentary, to be sure, but I still cannot break it. You two have seen it as well. What are your thoughts?"

Lucius shrugged. "I'm not sure Snape."

"_Headmaster_Snape Lucius. Remember to whom you are speaking."

Lucius glowered but relented. "Forgive me _Headmaster_. As I was saying, I am not sure how to break the protections on the generator. It is alien magic to me as well." Bellatrix only glared at Snape by way of response.

"Very well. We will need…forgive me Professors I have an urgent matter that I need to attend to." Snape rose to his feet as his office door swung open. Lucius and Bellatrix gave him suspicious looks but left without comment.

When he received confirmation from Peeves they were on their way to their offices, Snape tapped the 3-D model of the Deathly Hallows on his desk and followed the trap door back to the Room of Requirement. Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom met him when he stepped out of the passage.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Professor. We know you were meeting with Lucius and the murdering bitch." Neville's eyes flashed dangerously. "We have something we need to discuss. If you will." He turned and led him to their command center such as it were. Potter nodded as he entered.

"Headmaster," he said, not sounding as if the words pained him _too_much. That was progress.

"Potter," Snape replied, for his part not _too_coldly. They were pulling in the same direction right now. And by all accounts—his dual memories were _very_strange even if he knew why they were there—Potter was finally capable of besting him in combat. Snape respected Potter for his accomplishments, even if he didn't love him.

"Headmaster," said Ron. "Hermione has an idea for how we can capture the snake. Or at least the start of an idea. But we need help."

Snape nodded. "Very well." He turned to Hermione. "Well Miss Granger. What is your plan?"

Hermione explained her idea and how she experimented with it over the summer. Snape was impressed with her ingenuity but he needed confirmation before moving forward.

"Impressive Miss Granger. I am not sure if there is anything I can do. The magic of Hogwarts is such that I may not be able to bend the wards even in such a small space for you to work on the generator. I need to see what you did to your home first."

Hermione got to her feet. "Of course Professor. I can go now."

"Very good. We can apparate from my office. We'll be back soon," he said, addressing the group.

"Remember Headmaster," Potter said with a slight edge to his voice. "I can see everything that happens to her.

Snape sneered. "If you don't trust me Potter, perhaps you should work alone."

Potter looked back stonily. "I _don__'__t _trust you Snape," he said. Before his friends could yell at him, he took a deep breath. "But I know you're on our side in this fight. Forgive me for my outburst."

Snape huffed and left the room, Hermione on his heels.

* * *

Snape and Hermione landed quietly outside a little pub in Stourbridge. "All right Miss Granger, the Dark Lord has your house watched around the clock in case you return or someone returns. It is an afterthought now but there will still be two Death Eaters guarding the property. They need to be taken care of before we can investigate."

"What are we going to do to them?"

Snape looked at her. "You cannot be afraid of taking a life Miss Granger. The people you fight will not hesitate to do so in an instant."

"And that is a judgment on them," she said stubbornly.

"We cannot move forward unless I know you will do what is necessary as the situation arises. I don't want you to murder Miss Granger. But this is war and war means fighting and fighting means killing. If we can incapacitate them without compromising our objective, that would be ideal. If not, you cannot hesitate. Potter is learning that lesson from Slytherin and he has killed in battle since being sent back in time."

Hermione couldn't throw that back in his face. Harry was learning how to be a killer, if only to defeat Voldemort. But she knew he had killed Death Eaters since leaving them. Did she want to put herself at risk?

"Very well Professor," she said, eyes closed tightly. "If it comes to that, I will not risk losing this opportunity."

Snape nodded and led them down a dark alley, taking a roundabout way to a house across the street from Hermione's, three from the left from the corner. A TV was blasting loudly. Snape snorted. "Fools," he said dismissevly. "They have no comprehension that someone may be here." Catching Hermione's questioning look, he waved his arm. "This whole block, were I in charge, would be protected with Secrecy detection charms. I would not care that your were known to be in Hogwarts or not. If this place was connected to a close friend of Potter, I would not leave anything to chance."

"What I would like is for you to wait here. I will enter the house. They do have wards that protect the property from anyone without a Mark. I can get in and stun them. Give me one minute and then meet me in front of your property."

Hermione waited for a minute, listening for sounds of Snape entering the house or cursing the two Death Eaters. As the minute came to pass, she still heard nothing. She made her way across the street.

Snape was waiting for her. "All right Miss Granger. Before we examine your conduits, please explain this ward. It is a common protection ward but there is something uncommon within the makeup that I cannot comprehend.

Hermione nodded, satisfied with her ingenuity. "Good. That means this can keep even intelligent people out." She didn't acknowledge she paid Snape a compliment. Instead, she placed her hand over the wards and then waved her wand over her hand, encasing her hand in a glove of water.

Suddenly, the wards cackled and sparked. But they did not deactivate. The unfamiliar electric charge did not disappear entirely either.

"All right Professor, we need to move quick. You know this ward so when I give ward, you need to deactivate it in the space I'm going to free up for you."

Snape raised his wand. "Whenever you are ready."

She nodded and tapped her hand with her wand. The magical water glove expanded, putting a man-sized puddle over one section of the wards. Taking this as he cue, Snape lifted the ward, which was confined to the spot where the water was interfering with the electric charge. Hermione pulled his hand and stepped forward before the water evaporated and the charge resumed its steady flow over the ward.

Snape followed Hermione behind an elm in her yard. She muttered a number of incantations, causing the air to crackle and stir. About a minute later, a large, square, metal box was revealed. Snape bent down and waved his wand over the box. "How does it work?"

"I used a variation of the 'adaptive charm' Bill Weasley taught me. As he taught it to me, it was only used to blend different wards together, masking their individual signatures and making it more difficult to identify and remove them. I experimented with the curse and found a way to blend electricity with the magic. This is a normal generator that I bought from a muggle hardware store. I added my own modification that produces the ward and adaptive spell. It absorbs the electricity as it is released, producing the effect you've seen."

Snape rose to his feet and stared at the generator. "Miss Granger. I believe we can make this work."

* * *

_Hogwarts 1998_

Neville Longbottom looked over the table at his friends, face somber. "All right people. Curtain goes up at dawn. Are there any questions?" No one spoke up. "Okay. Get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do."

Marcus Belby, Terry Boot, Su Li, Astoria Greengrass, Adrian Pucey, Susan Bones, Megan Jones, Ernie Macmillan, Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown, and Colin Creevy left, leaving Neville alone with Hermione, Ron, Luna, Tracey, and Blaise. Ginny was still recovering and wouldn't be taking part in this mission.

Neville found Tracey's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, finding strength in her touch. "We cannot afford to make a mistake," he said gravely. "If the soul fragment in the snake is not removed, Harry will not be able to kill Voldemort when he returns. He'll never let the snake out of his sight."

"We know what's at stake Neville," said Blaise. "We've planned this operation to the last detail. It _will_work."

Everyone nodded. "It had better."

* * *

Headmaster Severus Snape peered out over the students gathered in the Great Hall, the silence palpable.

"In one hours time, our Lord and master will be coming to inspect the school and speak with the Board of Governors. Professors Malfoy and Lestrange," he motioned towards his two enemies, "will be patrolling the halls to ensure there are no…_unfortunate_outbursts during his visit. Any misbehavior will be dealt with most severely," he said quietly, though every student heard the menace in his voice. "And whatever punishment your professors dole out, it will pale beside the punishment Lord Voldemort will inflict. You have been warned."

The students stirred, some looking afraid, others staring daggers at Snape, Lucius, and Bellatrix. His gaze fell for a fraction of a second on Neville Longbottom. The leader of Dumbledore's Army met his gaze stonily. Snape smirked, a dark smirk to anyone who saw it but in actuality it was a satisfied smirk. Longbottom was ready, which meant the others would be too.

After thirty seconds of tense silence, Snape dismissed the students and the professors. McGonagall looked murderous, to say nothing of Flitwick and Hagrid. Snape scowled. "Is there a problem," he asked McGonagall, voice smooth and controlled.

"There are many things wrong Severus. However, I cannot say any of them without putting the students in danger." With that, she swept past Snape without a backwards glance. Snape hid a sigh. He never had a warm relationship with McGonagall, but they had always respected one another. But her respect was another casualty of this war.

Once everyone was gone but he, Lucius and Bella, Snape waved his wand, closing the doors and enacting several powerful privacy wards. "There can be no disturbances today comrades," Snape said, staring darkly at his companions. "The Dark Lord is coming to inspect the ward generators, specifically the one I destroyed three days ago. I destroyed the generator without your help, something the Dark Lord is not pleased with. I will not be the one blamed for any disturbances today as a result. He—and I as well—expect you to keep order even if you cannot help bring the wards under the Dark Lord's control. Am I clear?"

Bella looked murderous. "Perfectly," she spat. "Filthy mudblood," she muttered under her breath. Snape ignored the insult, which he knew would anger her more than if he started a duel then and there.

"Good. Gather the Slytherin Guard. Miss Davis and Mr. Zabini have handpicked the best fighters in their house. They will help you patrol the halls. At two in the afternoon, come to my office to meet with our Lord. Dismissed." They left, Bellatrix giving him one last nasty look.

* * *

When Lord Voldemort arrived, Snape sent Neville a doe patronus. The doe looked at him expectantly and disappeared when Neville nodded.

"All right everyone," Neville said, addressing the entire group who would be helping today. "Voldemort has arrived at Hogsmeade. That means we have thirty-five minutes to secure the snake, bring it to the headmaster, along with the replacement carrier, and get the snake back to Voldemort. Hermione, take your group to the forest. And for Merlin's sake, be careful."

"We'll be fine," she said. "Come on." Ernie Macmillan and Su Li followed her through a portrait of a dancing troll. It would take them straight to the Shrieking Shack.

"Okay. Ron, your squad will cover Voldemort and Snape as they move towards the northwest tower and the destroyed generator. Wait for the signal and then take the snake. Move quickly to the sixth year Runes laboratory. Hermione should be there when you arrive."

"Got it Neville. Luna, Marcus, Megan, Seamus, and Colin follow me."

Only Neville's squad remained. Neville unfurled Harry's map. "Okay guys. We need to incapacitate Lucius and Bellatrix. Alpha team will come with me to the dungeons. Gold team will go with Terry to the fourth floor corridor and capture Lucius." He gave Terry six little cylinders and kept six for his group. "Remember, use as few as possible. The more you have to use, the more residue you'll leave behind and the more likely you'll be found out. Not all of the Slytherin Guard is on our side."

Neville checked his watch and the map again. Voldemort and Snape were moving through the castle swiftly, though Snape was taking the long way. Ron and his squad were not showing up on the map at all. Harry's black hole spell was something special if it fooled the map. Hermione was off the map too, but Neville knew that to mean she was in the shack or the forest.

Bellatrix and her guard were patrolling by the kitchens while Lucius was still by the Great Hall. "Okay Terry. We're going now. Wait two minutes and go. Disable the map and leave it here." Neville clapped his friend on the shoulder and departed through Dumbledore's portrait.

"Good luck Neville," Dumbledore said, looking very grave.

"Thank you sir. We'll be back after the snake is no longer a threat."

* * *

Tracey Davis looked at her watch. Ten minutes past ten.

_Thirty __minutes _she thought, looking up and down the halls for any possible threat.

"Stay alert," Bellatrix ordered. "The Dark Lord will tolerate no disturbances in his castle."

"Of course professor," said Tracey. With a sneer, she waved her hand, encompassing the hall. "I doubt the Gryfs or their pals will try to stage anything today. They know the extent of our master's powers."

Bella smiled, but it was not a happy smile. It was carnivorous. "Don't trust the rabble, not one bit. They are an unpredictable lot, especially when their backs are against the wall."

Tracey bowed. "Of course professor. I did not think about that. Having our master here may bring out the worst in them." She shrugged, smiling hungrily. "Of course, if they step out of line, we'll have some fun won't we my friends." Her fellow Slytherins howled with barely restrained anticipation. Bellatrix smiled.

Then Tracey noticed the air rippling from the two statues ahead. "Imagine if they did have something planned. Oh fellows, we would have a situation on our hands," she said sarcastically, smacking her knee. Adrian Pucey and Blaise Zabini laughed darkly and smacked their knees too.

Bellatrix smiled. "You have the proper attitude. The Dark…the Dark Lord knows…all about." Bellatrix looked dazed, staggered, and collapsed, head scrapping against the wall. The two other Slytherins with feinted too.

Tracy, Blaise, and Adrian waited for Neville and his squad to appear before taking Bellatrix and the others into an unused classroom. Tracey hugged Neville and gave him a quick kiss. "Great to see you love."

Neville squeezed her tighter. "You too. Good work you two, leading them straight to us."

"We just hope the others capture Lucius as easily," said Adrian.

Neville nodded. "So do I." He looked at his watch. "Twenty-seven minutes left. This is going to be a long wait."

* * *

"Vento raffica."

A powerful rush of wind cleared a path for Hermione and her friends through this patch of trees. Su Li and Ernie cursed the few bowtruckles who tried to attack her. As the trio moved deeper into the forest, Hermione also kept tabs on their bearing and the time.

_10:17—Twenty-three minutes left_

"We have to hurry," Hermione said. "Throw down more bait."

"Hermione, perhaps we should return to the castle," said Su Li. "Ron will have the snake soon. We haven't even found the creature."

Hermione glared at her companion. "I am not going to sacrifice an innocent house elf. I refused to sacrifice Kreacher. Now that Harry needs him, we would be sacrificing someone completely innocent. They are not disposable."

Su Li held up a hand. "I understand. But we can't stay here forever."

"I am perfectly aware of…what was that?"

"What? I didn't feel anything."

Ernie however nodded. "I felt something too. Point me disturbance!" Ernie's wand spun in his hand. Before it stopped, a huge tree trunk smashed through the brush, sending him flying into a tree. His head smacked against another tree, knocking him unconscious. Then his attacker—a half-grown troll—smashed into the clearing, swinging his or her club wildly.

"We need to hit him together Su Li. Hurry. Dormire mettere cervello!"

Hermione and Su Li moved in separate arcs, each trying to hit the troll with the spell to shut down major brain activity. Most flew wild or their curses hit it one at a time. His hide was too tough for that to work. Finally, after five minutes, they managed to hit it together. It fell to the ground with a tremendous _boom_. It took them another three minutes to transfigure the beast into a bone.

Hermione grabbed a rock and waved her wand over it, causing it to glow blue for a second. "Su Li, use the portkey. Go to the Room of Requirement and take care of Ernie. I need to get up to the castle." Hermione waited for her friends to vanish and then sprinted to the Shack.

* * *

_10:27—Thirteen minutes left._

Ron and his group followed Snape and Voldemort through the castle from a distance, careful to never come within ten yards. Voldemort was too skilled a Legilimens to get too close, even with the protections they had.

At last, they arrived at the generator. Ron smiled, thinking of how Hermione had rigged them to appear active when they weren't or vice versa. And Voldemort couldn't tell the difference. It was a simple use of muggle battery and electronic technologies. Snape uncovered a way to use them in the castle and Hermione designed a way to superimpose the technology over the magic of the wards. A muggle eclection or something could take down the protections but most wizards would be lost.

Having Snape "disable" one was Terry's idea and Luna took it further, designing the plan they were carrying out now. They were clever and did their house proud, no doubt about it.

"Milord, we need to climb into the generator itself," said Snape when they stepped up to it. "Be careful though. While the wards generator is destroyed, the protections for the housing unit are sill active. They will shock you if you touch it."

"It is not a problem Severus." Voldemort bent his knees and a dense cloud of black smoke appeared under his feet. He hovered up over the entrance and descended into the chamber. "Nagini, guard us," he hissed in parseltongue before his head disappeared beneath the door. Snape followed Voldemort after casting a few red sparks.

Ron removed the charm making him invisible. "Incendia orbis." A lasso of fire captured the snake before it could rear up.

"Milord, wait a moment. I have the schematics in my office. I shall return," called Snape's voice from the generator.

"Take your time Severus. I want to study this technology further."

Ron waited for Snape and the two moved into the classroom and warded the room.

"Where is Granger," Snape demanded. "We have five minutes at maximum."

"I don't know professor. She should be here already. I hope she is okay." Ron looked very anxious, which was all that kept Snape from snapping at him.

A few seconds later, Hermione appeared from behind a portrait. "It is about time Granger," Snape snapped. "We have precious little time."

Hermione threw him a bone. "Here. Help us transfigure it back to normal."

Ron looked at the bone. "What is it?"

"A troll. Now come on Ronald." With Snape helping, it took about a minute and a half to turn return the troll to form.

"Okay. You two need to use whatever magic you need short of actually putting the snake unconscious to restrain it while I transfer the soul fragment," ordered Snape, rolling up his sleeves. He cut a pentagram into the stomach of the troll and the side of Nagini. The snake hissed and reared. Ron and Hermione both needed to work to restrain it from biting Snape.

Snape held his wand over the snake and closed his eyes. "Pokidan pravilo nad priroda, pokvaren razudba nad duša, naći moj čarolija." The snake thrashed and recoiled, the pentagram glowing fiery red. A few seconds later, a putrid wisp of green ash and smoke burned through the star and congealed on the tip of Snape's wand. The headmaster wavered, the obvious darkness of the soul fragment causing him pain. It may even have been trying to bind with him through his wand.

With a clear force of will, he moved his wand over the troll. "Dopust moj čarolija. Vezati se s današji domaćin pa uzeti tvoj urok u današji telo." The green ash and smoke rocketed from Snape's wand into the troll, killing it instantly. A feint green glow rose over the troll and dissipated.

Snape fell to his knees. "Sir, we only have a minute. You need to gather yourself," said Hermione urgently. Snape nodded and, after two unsuccessful tries, got to his feet. "Let me see the snake." It was hissing and snapping, but Snape managed to inspect it close enough to nod. "Good. The pentagram is gone and there is no sign it was ever there. Let me leave first and then send the snake back." He tossed Ron a vial. "Take this immediately once you're in the Room of Requirement."

* * *

_10:48_

Voldemort and Snape rose from the generator. "Fantastic work Severus," Voldemort said. "You have served me well. What is this?"

_This _was Nagini squeezing Ron Weasley to death, an obvious bite mark on his neck as blood flowed out onto Nagini.

"Release the boy," hissed Voldemort. Nagini hissed obediently, eying Snape darkly. Voldemort did not notice. All his attention was on Ron. "You are a Weasley. Ronald unless I miss my guess." Ron was in no shape to answer, going from purple to white in an instant as Nagini's poison slowly killed him. "Heed this lesson boy. Pity you won't live long enough to cipher it out too thoroughly. Severus, take me to your office. We need to discuss your plans."

"Of course milord." As he walked forward, he stepped on Ron. Voldemort laughed. From the shadows, if Hermione did not know that was coming, she would've revealed herself and killed Snape. As it were, she had to fight not to run to her boyfriend's side. Only when Voldemort and Snape were well on their way to the head office did Hermione run to Ron's side.

She grabbed his head and tilted it up. "Come on Ron. Take the potion." Ron didn't want to. Too much time had passed between the bite and now. Crying, Hermione dumped the potion down his throat and massaged his neck, coaxing the potion down. "Come on Ron. Please take the potion."

His skin turned a dusky, blotchy gray and he gave a few ragged coughs. "Hermione," he said before his head fell back.

"Ron," Hermione whispered. She pulled his head up, crying on his shoulder.

_Long layoff and obviously not "regular" as it has been a year since I last posted. Still, if you do not already hate me, please review._


	41. Chapter 41

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 41

_Hogwarts—April 1998_

Neville walked into the second infirmary. Hermione and Ginny were the only two in the room, save Harry and Dumbledore's portraits. Hermione was crying silently while Ginny and Harry looked beyond tears.

"I sent word to your brothers and Remus. They promise to be here soon," Neville said. Not expecting any response, he left those closest to Ron to their grief.

The other officers in the DA and Tracey and Blaise were waiting in the war room for him to return. "How are they," Tracey asked when he took his seat.

"Devastated. Understandable but we can't let this stop us. If Harry is right, then there is only the locket left to destroy and Harry can't touch it until he returns. Until then, we need to shift our focus to other priorities."

"What other priorities," asked Blaise.

"Harry is coming home soon. And, quite obviously, when he does the war is going to have to end—one way or the other."

The room was silent, the enormity of the situation impressed upon them. They had been fighting for a year, risking their lives to help Harry defeat Voldemort. But they had never really thought of the end of the war. Or perhaps what scared them most was what would come after the end. Would it end with Harry victorious, which they all hoped would be how the war ended? Or would it with Harry dead and Voldemort victorious?

"What can we do," Dean asked calmly, but his hands were shaking.

"A battle _will_be fought here in the castle. And we will _win_." More silence met these words; only to be broken by a rowdy cheer led by Blaise. "And we will have to help ensure we win that battle."

"What can we do," Dean asked again, this time more confidently.

Neville pointed to Harry's map, which was tacked to the wall. "We know the secret passageways in and out of the castle and all the most vulnerable points that an enemy can break through. Traps, explosives, old muggle tricks of war. Whatever the hell we can put in place to make it harder for his bastards to invade will help."

"We'll need to work with Snape," added Seamus.

"We will, to an extent. But we need to do much of this on our own. Thank Merlin we have Snape but, however trustworthy we find him and capable he is to protect his thoughts from Voldemort, he is in a precarious position."

"Because he is too close to Voldemort?"

Neville shook his head. "No, because he lied to Voldemort and now Voldemort has proof of his deception."

"What proof," asked Tracey. "How can he know?"

* * *

_Albania—1998_

The mountainous regions of Albania are often rugged and inaccessible to all but the most intrepid adventurer. For the most part, there was little to see. And that was the point. If you were looking to hide, there were few better places in the world

Lord Voldemort knew this part of the country well, but he had not seen his prey in years. Even if he had, his prey was elusive.

He had already spent three days in the mountains and the forests and was growing impatient. He robbed memories of animals and used what tracking measures he could but it was a slow journey. All he could sense was that his prey knew he was there and did not want to be found.

* * *

_Hogwarts—1998_

"How did this happen," Bill Weasley demanded. "God damn it Harry! My brother is dead and apparently this lot knows more then we do. Now they won't say a damn thing but I want to know what the hell was going on because if I don't like what I hear, Voldemort will have to wait until I have a go at you."

"Bill," growled Remus. "How can you blame Harry for this? Not even Molly does."

"Remus, Bill has a right to know. And he's right. I have not been completely honest. For the past year, I have been hunting artifacts Voldemort has created to delay his death. Dumbledore destroyed one and I destroyed two. My friends have destroyed two others. It was during their attempt to destroy their second that Ron died." Harry swallowed hard on his emotions, refusing to cry when now he needed to show strength.

Bill looked at Ron's body and back at Harry. "What were they trying to destroy?"

"Horcruxes."

Bill blanched, although apparently he was the only one to recognize the term. "That bastard created Horcruxes—as in more than one."

Harry nodded. "He created six. Five have been destroyed, or at least the part of his soul has been removed. The snake still lives but that is to fool Voldemort. There is one that remains."

"What are Horcruxes," asked Fred. Harry and Bill ignored him.

"What is the sixth?"

"It is a locket, one that belonged to Slytherin long ago. Voldemort stole it and turned it into a Horcrux while he was still in school."

"That bastard has been murdering people for that long?"

"He has Bill."

Bill looked disgusted and more than a little afraid. "Where is it Harry?"

"Bill, I can't ask you to try and destroy it."

"Harry," interjected Remus, still at a loss as to what a Horcrux was. "If this is something dangerous but more importantly if it will help defeat Voldemort, then we need to help. Now where is this locket?"

"I have no idea," Harry said.

Remus and Bill looked stunned. "Then it is hopeless," said Bill.

"No, it isn't. Kreacher will know where the real locket was last. Odds were it was in #4 all along."

"How do you figure? And what do you mean the 'real' locket," asked Remus.

"Last year Dumbledore and I went on a mission to find the locket and destroy it. But all we found was a fake locket. In the locket was a note from someone named R.A.B. It said that the real locket had been destroyed and that when the person came along who could kill Voldemort, that he would be human. The real locket was never destroyed. If anyone can find where it is, Kreacher can."

"How the bloody hell can we use that elf," demanded Remus. "It never cared for Sirius and sure as hell doesn't care for you."

"Tell Kreacher that not only are you acting on my direct orders but you are trying to destroy the locket 'Master Regulus' wanted destroyed."

"Wait, why Regulus? He was a Death Eater."

"He was but he was also R.A.B. Sirius said Regulus tried to back out at one time but obviously he was killed instead. Regulus knew about the locket. How I don't know but it has something to do with Kreacher. Ask the elf and I'm sure you can find the real locket."

Bill, Fred, George, and Remus shared a look. "We'll find the locket Harry. And when you come back, you focus on killing that bastard," Bill said.

"Just be careful guys. The locket is going to put up a fight."

"We'll take care of it." He looked over at Ginny, Molly, and Hermione. "We should take Ron's body and go," he said, tears making his voice suddenly heavy. "Hermione and Ginny, you two probably won't be coming back to Hogwarts."

"No Bill, we're not leaving our friends like that," said Ginny. "They need our help if we're going to make this place hot for Voldemort."

"Ye…yeah," said Hermione, trying to find strength. "This war isn't over and Hogwarts is our home. We'll come back and defend it."

"We'll talk about this later," said Remus. "Harry, you focus on coming home. If my strange memories are accurate, you're ready to kill that bastard."

"I'm doing everything I can Remus."

* * *

_Albania—1998_

"_Umbra__ostendo__sum_." Voldemort sensed a rush of magic flow through the undergrowth and very briefly a trail shone above the surface of the ground. Voldemort followed the trail; sure he was reaching his target.

The trail led him through a dense forest until finally he reached a clearing. He walked slowly into the clearing, keeping his wand moving to guard against an attack. "Where are you Cyrus?"

The clearing was silent. Not even the wind was blowing. Voldemort walked closer to the center, still keeping on the move in case of an attack. He fired off a succession of curses as a something set the trees to his far left on fire. "Enough of these games Cyrus? You cannot kill me. You must know this."

"I've led you into this clearing so easily Tom," a raspy, angry voice echoed throughout the clearing. "For all your magic and your _power_, you are in my trap."

Voldemort stopped and put his wand in his robes. "Cyrus, I am not here to fight. I come with an offer. I would like to speak with you."

"But why should I listen to you Tom. You betrayed me and turned me into a freak, even by your putrid magical standards. I followed you all through Hogwarts, helping you and carrying your message to the other students. And then you told me you had a plan and you needed my help. It would make us both more powerful and we would gain power together."

"Then during the ritual, you tried to break my mind. But you failed. Your experiment turned me into a freak and there was nothing I could do but run away. Now all that I have is the hunt. You've given me that Tom. I'm the greatest hunter in the world but what is the hunt without a challenge. Not even you were a challenge."

"You were willing Cyrus. And you cannot tell me your abilities are unwelcome. I sense you've developed a degree of control over the transformations."

"I have gained complete control Tom," the voice said angrily.

"Then what complaints do you have? Make yourself as you wish society to see you and you can transition back into society. But you do not want that do you Cyrus? Despite your misgivings, what is keeping you from rejoining society is that you want to hunt and kill. I can give you targets that you can only dream of, but you would need to earn my trust first."

"I do not want your trust."

"You sound uncertain. Cyrus, enough of this foolishness. Come forward and speak with me man to man." For a moment, Voldemort could not hear anything. Then he saw a shadow spring from nowhere. Before Cyrus could impale him with a broom, Voldemort conjured a cloud of magic that knocked Cyrus off the broom. Before his old friend could move, Voldemort bound him to two trees with tendrils of dark magic. "Very good Cyrus. Now let's see you."

Voldemort cast _lumos_and looked over his prey. "Very good attempt Cyrus but my mother was much more pale and homely. Why choose that form?"

Cyrus spat at his feet. "We both know you love her but you're also afraid because she left you. Everything you are now starts with what—in your mind—she did to you."

Voldemort scowled. "I do not love her," he said. "Love is an emotion for the weak and the powerless.

Cyrus laughed. "You've always been a scared little boy Tom. I sensed it in you from the first time we met. Well, you caught me. Spin your lies so I can tell you no. Then kill me. My life is not worth living at this point."

"I want you to return with me to London. I have a mission for you and if you can succeed, I will give you anything you desire."

"Can you make me 'normal' Tom," Cyrus said sneeringly. "Bah, of course you can't. You're a wreck of a man."

"I thought we agreed that you are not unhappy with your current abilities. You're angry because you are afraid. Do not blame me for your fears. I have given you a great gift and you are afraid of the power it grants you."

Cyrus fought hard against the restraints. "You call this a gift. If I am not paying attention, I can transform against my will. And it is a painful transformation."

"But you told me you have complete control," Voldemort said chidingly.

"Fuck you Tom. I have control but everyone has moments of weakness. I cannot always block the thoughts of the lifeless drones around me and suddenly I find myself transforming into thirteen things at once. The pain is unbearable. But you would not care about that would you?"

"Lord Voldemort cares for all his followers. But it was your decision to run Cyrus. I could've helped you control your abilities."

Cyrus started at him with cold hatred. "You would not have done anything of the sort. You tried to break my mind and turn me into your slave. Don't tell me you cared for a minute about me beyond anything but a tool."

"Very well Cyrus. I admit that I was trying to break your mind. You were a powerful wizard and, despite our friendship, I did not sense your complete loyalty. I was not yet prepared to handle an attempted coup d'état. Now I have ensured that I cannot be defeated. You are no longer a threat and because of that, I want you to rejoin my ranks."

"Fairly confidant in those Horcruxes of yours aren't you Tom?"

"How do you know about my Horcruxes," Voldemort asked, a little concern in his voice.

Cyrus laughed crazily. "Tom, who gave you the damn book that told you about Horcruxes. I read that book cover to cover and knew you would too. What I didn't know was that you would go on to mutilate your soul and create more than two or three. But I sense a powerful feeling of death and corruption on you."

"Enough of this," said Voldemort, silencing his old friend. "What of my offer? Will you return to London with me and help me finally take control of the country?"

"You have yet to tell me what is in it for me Tom. Why, after everything that has happened between us should I help you?"

"Once I defeat Harry Potter…you do know who Harry Potter is?"

"I do Tom. He is an internationally famous wizard."

"Very well. When I tried to kill him this past summer, a strange magical explosion sent him back in time exactly twenty years. He has been working with his parents and Dumbledore to improve his abilities. He has become quite powerful and cunning."

"And you want me to kill him?"

Voldemort shook his head. "No. I have to be the one to defeat him. But that does not mean I have to kill him. I have given great thought to the trouble the boy has put me through and I wish him to pay for all that he has done. That is where you come in."

"And what would you have me do Tom? I'll say again—spin your lies."

"After I defeat Potter, I will send he and you to a remote island and ward it with every possible protection possible. Potter will not be given a wand and a number of minions will ensure he cannot escape."

Cyrus looked intrigued. "And my role would be what," he asked with less hostility.

"For the rest of his life, you would hunt Potter in whatever fashion you chose. Whenever you catch him, take your time to torture and kill him. And then I will bring him back from the dead and the cycle will begin again. You pride yourself on the hunt. He will be your greatest prey."

"Without his wand," Cyrus asked dismissively. "He'll hardly be a challenge."

"You might also be a surprise. He has learned to perform incredible magic without a wand and in this endless cycle of life and death, I suspect he would force himself to learn more. With each triumph, you would face a more cunning Harry Potter. But if you would like, I can give him a wand that was neither created for him nor loyal to him. It will not perform as it would normally but still be better than nothing."

"That sounds like a better arrangement," Cyrus said, looking feral. "But how can you bring the boy back to life? Has he created a Horcrux?"

Voldemort shook his head. "No. When I created my new body, I used his blood. It allows me to touch him because I have the same protection in my blood. It also tethers his life to mine and vice versa. If one of us were to die at the hand of the other, we could force the other back into existence through the connection."

"You and Potter have gone down roads that few have even imagined, let alone studied. How do I know what you say is true?"

"One thing you and I have always found is that my magical knowledge is beyond that of ordinary witches and wizards. I have studied this phenomenon and have found this to be the end result. I was right when I went to you with my idea to turn you into a shape shifter."

Cyrus stared at him, calculating his offer. "What would you need me to do to help you defeat Potter?"

Voldemort removed the magic holding Cyrus to the trees and explained what he needed. He handed him a name and picture. "Start with this one. If you are successful, there will be fallout if you do not take his place. If you need to kill in order to get in close to him, kill only those absolutely necessary. I am not ready to take institution as my own yet. Take his place and then focus on your second target." Voldemort handed him another piece of parchment and another picture.

"When they are both dead?"

"Take the place of the second. You're familiar with memory walking right?" Cyrus nodded. "Very good. Take everything you need to successfully take the place of both as needed and leave them to die. Stay in place until Potter returns. Then we can focus on the final stage of this war."

"And after we've won, you'll give me Potter?"

"After I've defeated him and fulfilled the prophecy, I will give him to you."

"All right. Let's go then."


	42. Chapter 42

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 42

_London—May 1998_

Lupin and Bill walked past one another, disguised as two muggle businessmen. Somewhere across the street, Tonks would appear, hopefully with the information they needed.

Five minutes later, a double-decker raced by. "Blast it all," bellowed a frail old woman. "I missed the bus. Whatever am I to do now?" In a fit of rage, the woman sulked down the street. Remus and Bill fell into the crowd behind her. She winded around several shops and alleys before coming to a stop at a street crossing.

But Bill and Remus didn't approach her. Both sensed several other people nearby, their wands trained on Tonks. When Remus tried to run towards his wife, Bill surreptitiously tripped him. "I'm so sorry old chap," Bill said, bending down to help Lupin. "Wasn't watching properly." Bill put his finger to his mouth then pointed his wand at Tonks. Seconds before several curses leveled the street corner, Bill summoned a small ferret into his coat pocket. "Let's get out of here."

They reappeared in Lupin's apartment in Diagon Alley, a safe house for the Order. Bill pulled Tonks out of his pocket and turned her back to normal. "Sorry Tonks but there was no other way to get you out of there safely."

Tonks looked a little miffed but she replied easily enough. "Don't worry about it. How in the hell did they know who I was?"

"I don't know, but the fact they did is disconcerting. We planned everything to the last detail. The only thing I can think of is that evil toad-bitch charmed Moody's eye to alert to her to trespassers in her office. Not even Moody's eye was fooled by your transformations," said Lupin, taking his wife's hand.

"If that is what happened, we were damn foolish not to think of it," said Bill.

"We couldn't have known she had Moody's eye on the inside of her door," said Lupin.

"Why didn't Dad sack her when he had the chance? After everything she did to Hogwarts two years ago, how could she still have a job?"

"She was never and never will be a Death Eater, however much her personality would fit their mold. And she has more connections in the Ministry then anyone would care to count. In all fairness, I am surprised Arthur managed to demote her to the Department of Records. And he's still managed to have her tracked without her knowledge." Lupin scowled. "I wish I knew how she managed to get her hand on Moody's eye though."

"Fine, but it was still a nasty surprise," Bill admitted grudgingly. "The point is she doesn't have the locket anymore."

Lupin waved his wand, lighting a candle. "We do know she realized the dark properties of the locket. It must have given her a right scare, if her journal entries are any indication. And we know she sold it to Borgin two months ago."

Tonks nodded her head. "That's right. Now all we need to figure out is if he still has it and if not, who he sold it too."

"There is no way in hell he would keep it in stock. If anyone would recognize instantly what properties it has, he would be the man," said Bill, who respected the knowledge Borgin possessed even if he didn't approve of his business practices.

"Then why buy it from Umbridge at all," asked Tonks.

"It would be pretty obvious Umbridge didn't know what it was, so there was no fear of immediate retribution. He would buy it simply to avoid Umbridge's suspicion and wrath. But he would either sell it to the next fool as quick as he could or put it under every protection he knew until he could safely dispose of it. I am far more inclined to believe the former. Better to put it in the hand of an idiot than keep it and risk Voldemort's rage."

"I would agree with Bill," said Lupin. "But then we have at least one more person to track down before we can find the locket and destroy it."

Bill's eyes shone with tears he would not shed. "My brother gave his life to destroy one horcrux. I'm not stopping until we get rid of this one."

Tonks moved next to Bill and gave him a quick embrace—or intended it to be quick but Bill latched onto her, having no other outlet to release the pain of losing Ron since he was away from Molly and Fleur. Tonks made no move to disrupt him. Eventually he looked up, noticeably embarrassed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Bill, after Lily and James were murdered, I spent a solid week in mourning. They were my family and I couldn't bear being without them. You've lost your brother and today is the day of his funeral. Tonks and I would never judge you, and certainly not for this."

"That's right. And I should let Molly and Arthur we have a new lead."

* * *

_The Burrow_

A light breeze swept through the clearing, stirring the smell of freshly grown grass and flowers. Birds chirped merrily, flying between the trees without a care in the world, entirely ignorant of the pain the small group of people below was feeling.

Molly Weasley blew her nose into her handkerchief, here eyes red and puffy from so many tears shed. But now it was as if, looking upon her son's final resting place, she had no more tears to shed. She walked over to the coffin and rested her hand on the cool marble. She could think of nothing to say she hadn't already. In spite of herself, she smiled. Ron never much cared for sentiments. He was almost comically oblivious to expressions of sentimentality. It was one of the things she found charming about her youngest son, and one of the things she was sure drew Hermione to Ron.

Molly looked over at Hermione, who was sitting by Ginny. She couldn't imagine the young girl's pain. She knew Hermione and Ron loved one another and that eventually they would finally wise up and admit it to each other. But it hadn't happened and never would now. Hermione had to feel as if she had a gift stolen from her before she ever had the chance to appreciate it.

Arthur had just laid his arm across her shoulders when a crane patronus appeared in their midst. "We've found a lead," called the voice of Tonks. "We believe the locket is in London."

Arthur pulled out his wand and cast his own patronus. "Good luck. Let me know if you need anything." The patronus turned into a ball of white smoke and light and shot off to wherever Tonks, Lupin, and Bill were. "I hope they watch themselves."

Molly wrapped her arm around her husbands. "So do I Arthur. I wish they didn't need to go after—whatever a horcrux is."

Arthur stiffened. He may not have known what a horcrux was when Lupin first told him about it, but he knew better now. But he refused to tell Molly and the girls (he suspected Hermione at least knew what it was but he was sure she didn't know how to create one) what exactly they were. "They need to do this Molly," he said, his voice like iron. "He needs to pay for what he has done."

* * *

_Hogwarts—May 1978_

Harry sat in a chair, blinded and restrained. Wards made it difficult for him to employ magical sight. His vision was distorted and fuzzy.

Somewhere in the room was Salazar Slytherin, waiting to attack.

Harry refocused his efforts on the wards around him. He could not find the ward that was jamming his magical sight. But he could feel and hear the hum and flow of the wards in the room. He needed to protect himself with something beyond the magical shield he was already employing.

He felt around until he felt a useful shield spell. He focused his magic on separating the spell from the others. If one could see what he was doing, it was like he was pulling a puzzle piece out of a puzzle. But it was not a puzzle piece. It was fluid like water. The rest of the wards filtered over the gap created, and by extension they were becoming weaker.

Harry guided the piece he removed and created a dome over he and the chair. Now that he had additional protection, Harry focused on freeing his hands from the restraints holding him in place. After about a minute, Slytherin unleashed a barrage of curses on the shield. Harry could hear a dull thumping as they slammed against it. It would not hold forever.

Another minute passed before Harry realized his restraints weren't magic but were muggle manacles protected by wards and enchantments. Twisting his right hand, he managed to grab hold of the center. He spent fifteen seconds muttering a counter curse when the manacles broke in half. He kept his hand behind the chair and vanished the remains. Now he needed to focus on his escape.

When Harry pulled down this shield, he made it so he could apparate out if needed. But he didn't want to apparate. Risking a little more energy then he wanted to at this point, Harry created an illusion of him sitting in the chair and then disappeared through a hole of magic on the floor. It would—if he cast it correctly—take him behind the boggart cupboard.

His focus must have been a little off because he ended up behind the bookshelf, which put him in a more open space but he couldn't try again. That bit of magic was draining and he wasn't ready to try it again.

Slytherin did not suspect Harry had escaped. So that gave Harry a chance to find the ward jamming his magical senses without being molested. He made himself invisible and crept through the arena. But he could not find any such ward. Then it dawned on him.

_That tricky bugger_ Harry thought. He focused his attention around the ceiling again. Sure enough, he felt a strange ward operating just underneath the wards protecting the room. He had no way of attacking it without giving away his position. And he couldn't find Slytherin so he wouldn't know where to disappear without possibly dropping right into his lap.

There were too many curses for him to even try to transfigure any of them. He also couldn't cast his own spells without giving away his position. He thought for a moment but he really only had one option.

Harry ran towards a stone and leapt from it. He waved his wand and the curses started swirling around him but none actually hit him—so long as he was careful. He used Helga's technique to catch and absorb the magic of spells as he could to replenish his strength. When he felt strong enough, he threw his arms wide, sending the curses flying around like mad. He refocused on the jamming ward and destroyed it with two powerful _adnihilo _curses in quick succession. Slytherin put his own protection in place so that when the ward was taken down, a rush of fiendfyre swept through the room. Harry turned on his heel just before the fire erupted and found refuge in the boggart closet.

When he felt it was safe, Harry jumped out of the closet. Slytherin was standing in the center of the room, looking at him with a nasty leer. "Good work Harry. I did not expect you to complete the first trial so quickly." He levitated in the air, magic swirling around him like a tornado. "Now we shall see how you fare against the second trial."

Slytherin rocketed towards Harry, casting a furious barrage of curses. Harry could only just defend himself from the barrage, deflecting every curse as quick as they were cast. But he was not going to let Slytherin get away so easily. Harry inched closer to the fallen Dark Lord and, when he was within range, grabbed Slytherin's wand hand, kneed him hard in the stomach, and threw him across the room.

"Very good Harry. But we are not finished." Slytherin disappeared in a swirl of dust. Harry barely had time to register powerful currents of magic whipping around him before twenty Slytherin's jumped out of the ground and surrounded him. "Find me Harry."

Harry dueled ferociously with the gang of Slytherin's, jumping in and out of the fray, sending several flying into one another, and doing whatever else he could to buy time. He could not kill any of them, even with a killing curse. Only one was truly alive and so it was the only one a killing curse would work on.

At one point, Harry pulled out his old wand and started casting curses with both, the sheer volume of curses too much for him to handle. He could feel his energy draining and knew he would lose from sheer exhaustion if he could not find Slytherin soon.

Then he had an idea. Harry threw his old wand up into the air and cast a lightening spell once it reached the height of the arc. His wand absorbed the spell and sent out beams of energy. As the lightening crackled, Harry focused his energy on his magical sight, looking for skeletons. In the back corner he found Slytherin.

Harry lunged across the arena and threw his arms forward. All the lightening from his own spell and his new spell blasted Slytherin clean off his feet and Harry landed where Slytherin had stood. The imposters disappeared and Harry could feel the magic in the room returning to normal.

A cloud of smoke, the tell tale sign of recovery, billowed around Slytherin. When it vanished, Slytherin smiled at Harry, the first genuine show of approval Harry could remember seeing from his least favorite—and best—tutor. "Good work Harry. I would not have expected better from one of my own house."

Harry wiped his brow and conjured a chair. "Thanks Slytherin, I suppose. That was unexpected when you conjured so many clones."

Slytherin sat down across from Harry in a throne that appeared out of nowhere. "It was something I knew you had not prepared specifically for, and so would need to think on your feet in order to survive. I was not counting on you remembering your old wand. That was the purpose of the attack."

"So where do we go from here?"

Slytherin sat back, deep in thought. "There is very little else that I—or the others—can teach you that you do not already know. Helga and Godric have walked you and your mother through all the spells that they know, at least that would help you in battle. I daresay all that remains is determining how to return to your time."

"I've thought about that for a while now. I have no idea where to start."

"I wouldn't expect many people would. This is a strange and new phenomenon. Perhaps you should confer with the Headmaster. As one of the most knowledgeable wizards the world has ever known, he may be able to help you unravel the mysteries of your arrival and how you can return."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It cannot hurt. I am concerned how much he would actually be willing to help me though."

Slytherin got to his feet and walked back to the closet. "The decision is yours. Regardless, there is little more that you can learn from my colleagues and I. Return to your normal classes and prepare for year-end assessments."

He paused in front of the closet and, after a few seconds, looked back at Harry. "You need the Headmaster Potter. Magically, you are ready to face my heir. But he can help you prepare mentally. Find some way to connect the goodness in him, as Godric did so many centuries ago after he and I dueled that first time."

* * *

"Enter," called the deep voice of Albus Dumbledore. "Ah, Mr. Potter," he said with some warmth but not twinkle in his eye. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this afternoon visit?"

Harry took a deep breath, strengthening his mental shields and gathering his thoughts. "Headmaster, first I wanted to thank you for the gift you gave me in January. More than ever, I feel I am prepared to return to my time and finally rid the world of Voldemort once and for all."

Dumbledore scrutinized him for nearly a minute before leaning over his desk. "How did you come to be the one who would need to defeat Tom Mr. Potter?"

Harry paused to consider an appropriate response. "Sir, do you want the quick explanation or the detailed explanation?"

"Why not give me the detailed explanation."

Harry nodded. "Very well. In 1979 or 1980, Tom came to the conclusion that his destroyer would be born and that he would have the power to kill him. As you know, Tom fears death. The thought that someone might be able to kill him terrified him. In my time, he attacked my parents on Halloween 1981. Because of my actions in this time, that terrible day is pushed back to Easter 1982. Either way, prior to my second birthday, Tom will make an attempt on my life but he will fail."

"By attacking me and failing to kill me, the bond between the two of us was solidified and now, because of his failures, he has marked me as his principle adversary." Harry raised his hands. "And that is why I must be the one to defeat him."

Then Harry came to an abrupt decision. "Professor, may I please show you a few memories of mine." Dumbledore looked a little taken aback but nodded and moved towards his pensieve. "No Headmaster, if you're willing I would like to use the mind-meld. I am sure you're familiar with the technique, considering most of my legilimency knowledge is the same as your own."

Dumbledore looked at him shrewdly. "Very well Mr. Potter." Harry smiled and walked around the desk. He put his index finger under his left eye and middle, ring, and pinky arced above his eyebrow. "On Halloween 1981, Tom came to Godric's Hallow and set in motion circumstances no one could've envisioned." Harry felt a pull from his mind and felt Dumbledore's presence.

He walked Dumbledore through memories of his parent's death, his years with the Dursley's, and select memories of his moments with Ron and Hermione, the happiest moments he had ever experienced. When the bond was broken, he saw tears of sadness streaming down Dumbledore's cheeks. He knew Dumbledore was not only feeling his own emotions but also Harry's, including the pain of losing Ron, which Harry tried to bury as much as he could.

After a few moments to compose himself, Dumbledore sat back, deep in thought. "There is more to your story I imagine, than what you revealed." He raised a hand to stop Harry's protestations. "I do not fault you Mr. Potter. Given the unique circumstances of your arrival, I do not wish to force you to say or show more than you have. Let us return to my original question: to what to I owe the pleasure of this particular visit?"

"I need to discover a way to return to my time Headmaster. But my tutors also, having finished their training, believe there is more that you can teach me. Specifically, how I can defeat Tom in a battle where his is entirely focused on destroying me."

"I do not know what I can do to help you return to your time. But I believe I know where we can start." He conjured a bag and placed a number of his silver instruments inside. When he was satisfied, he stroked Fawkes, gently awakening the magnificent phoenix. "If you will Mr. Potter, please grab hold of Fawkes' tail."

He felt a pull in his naval, not unlike a portkey. But instead of the traditional rush of color, he saw only a funnel of fire. It was also a very comfortable form of travel, unlike using a portkey. Then they dropped down in a muggle suburb. Harry needed only a few seconds to realize this was the neighborhood where Lily's parents had lived.

"Headmaster, why are we here," he asked, trying not to think about his grandparents and how they died.

"We are here to investigate the area. This was where you suddenly appeared. I am hoping that there will be evidence of dormant magic in this area, something that may link to your arrival and how you can return. However, while I investigate this area, you will need to investigate the area surrounding where you departed."

"Sir, I don't know how to search for that type of magic."

Dumbledore, who was already pointing his wand at the sky, chuckled ruefully. "I suppose, given everything that has happened, I should unlock the holds I placed on the knowledge I gave to you. Please take a seat Harry." Harry was a little surprised at Dumbledore's sudden use of his first name. But he felt as if the real Dumbledore, the Dumbledore he knew, had returned. Eyes twinkling, the Headmaster pointed his wand between Harry's eyes and began muttering in a strange combination of Latin, Persian, and Mandarin.

Then Harry felt his head jerk back as if struck. His vision clouded as it felt like a dam burst in his head. When the sensation passed, he felt no different than he had before. "What did you do?"

"I removed the final barriers to the knowledge I gave to you. There were fewer than I expected, which means you learned much from your tutors. The majority of what was protected was advanced spells, charms, and rituals." He paused to look at his watch. "But we will cover that when we return to Hogwarts. Please investigate the area where you left that evening."

Harry looked at them and nodded. "I will sir. You do know that we won't be able to find a way back though?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I understand. But the sooner we begin tracing the area for magic, the better."

Leaving Dumbledore to his work, Harry turned on his heel and appeared in Little Whinging. He placed several stealth and secrecy charms on his body and trekked towards number four.

Reaching the area where he and his friends departed on the driveway, Harry waved his wand in a wide arc, muttering "ostendo occultus subcriptio." His magical sight allowed him to see the blue mist as it flowed over the area, steadily growing until the entire property was consumed in the cloud.

"Expiscor veneficus vestigium," he said after the mist turned a shade of lilac. An opaque, cerulean bubble appeared on the tip of his wand and slowly expanded until it too consumed the property, including the lilac mist. His original spell hadn't discovered anything significant on its initial search (which was signified by the change of color) but it had discovered some trace of magic. The second spell would hopefully help identify what was detected.

But nothing was revealed, much to his disappointment. Clearly there was some aspect of magic in the area because the mist had not disappeared, but was turning different colors in an effort to identify the magic. Deciding on something a little different, Harry leapt onto the roof of number four and then, boosted by magic, onto the top of the tallest tree in the area.

He looked around the neighborhood, feeling a little nervous because he was going to try one of the spells Dumbledore just unlocked and hoped that it would work. Harry touched the tip of his wand with his left hand, concentrating on forming a tendril of magic between the two points. It was draining but he felt a pull on his wand and warmth on his left palm. He slowly pulled his hand and wand apart until they were about two feet apart.

A strand of bright, yellow magic connected the two points, so bright it was almost white. But the charm was not done. Harry closed his eyes and began to chant "afhjúpa frumefni af dimma," under his breath. He concentrated so hard on the spell that he felt his palm burning and the pull on his wand was making it hard to hold his hands steady. But he knew the spell was working as he heard the tendril between his hand pulsating. Waves of magic expanded out over an area of one mile in diameter and one mile into the sky. The power to fuel such a spell was tiring him greatly but he held firm, willing himself to go on.

After about five minutes, he could hold the connection no longer and dropped his hands. He managed enough strength to cushion his jump off the tree. But he was elated to see that a feint outline of magical residue on the sky: streaks criss-crossed the sky and he knew it was the imprint of the duel from the other night. But as he committed the image to memory, it disappeared. He could not trace any single line, perhaps the one that was he and Hagrid aboard the motorcycle.

But this was a first step and hopefully Dumbledore found success too. He knew it would take time before he could return home but he felt sure the time was sooner now rather than later.

* * *

_London 1998_

"As you can see madam," said the sleek, oily voice of Edmund Borgin. "The tome is in excellent condition. The spells written herein are some of only remaining parselmouth spells known to the world. It is a fine addition to any collection of respectable library."

The woman frowned. "I don't know Borgin," she said impatiently. "What good are the spells if no one can speak them."

"My very dear, this is an artifact of immense history. Any collector would cherish having this on their shelves."

"But five hundred galleons," she asked. "That is steep for a item that will never be used."

Borgin gave a wheezy chuckle. "I do not believe you appreciate the history of this artifact. But I am not unreasonable. Four hundred and twenty-five galleons and it will be yours."

"Quick to sell that aren't you Borgin," called a raspy, masculine voice from the door. The new customer waved his wand at the woman. "So sorry dear, but you need to leave." The woman left without another word.

Borgin looked incensed. "What is the meaning of this," he demanded indignantly.

"Quite Borgin," ordered the man as he stepped into the shop. "Let's go to your office. And I'll hold onto that." Borgin watched helplessly as his wand zipped into the hand of the intruder.

Borgin, having no alternative, led the man into his back office. As the door closed, he glared fearsomely at the intruder. "What is the meaning of this unlawful intrusion?"

The man laughed. He had a hood up so Borgin couldn't identify him but he sounded young, whoever he was. The man pulled out a locket and dropped it on the desk. "Does this look familiar?"

Borgin, now confused, picked up the locket and inspected it. He had barely turned it over his hand once before he dropped it and stumbled backwards. "Who are you," he asked, terrified now.

"Relax Borgin. I am not going to hurt you. I am sure you can tell that locket is a fake."

Borgin nodded. "Yes it is. A very good fake but a fake nonetheless."

"And when was the first time you saw the genuine locket?"

Why do wish to know that?" The stranger didn't answer and Borgin was too fearful to lie. "It was back in 1925. A strumpet sold it to me for five galleons. She had now idea of it's true worth."

"And what was her name?"

"I can hardly remember," he stammered, though he remembered very well

The man advanced on him dangerously. "Do not lie to me Borgin!"

"Her name was Merope Gaunt, but she called herself the former Mrs. Riddle."

"As in Tom Riddle," the man said.

"Yes. I know now she was the mother of Tom Riddle, an old clerk of mine. If I didn't conduct a complete background check before I hired him, I doubt I would know she was his mother."

"And you know the name Tom Riddle operates under these days I trust."

"Of course I do. I never wanted that bloody locket," he said madly. "But I couldn't refuse that dreadful Umbridge woman."

"Relax Borgin," the man said again. "I am not a Death Eater and I am not from the Ministry. I only want to know what happened to the locket after Umbridge sold it."

Borgin looked at the intruder strangely. "Why do you wish to know?"

"I am going to destroy it. I trust, given your reaction to the fake, you understand the significance of the real locket?"

"You know that it is a horcrux?"

"I do. And that is why I am going to destroy it. Now, tell me what happened to it."

Borgin shook his head. "I can't. If I tell you and you don't destroy it or worse, you do but he doesn't die, he'll kill me."

"Borgin, I can ensure that you're safe. If I did not think I could destroy it, I would not be approaching you today. And if I did not think Voldemort would be destroyed soon thereafter, I would not seek to destroy the horcrux. But he is going to die soon. In order for that to happen, that locket needs to be destroyed first."

"I already sold it."

"I am aware. Who did you sell it to?"

"I sold it over Easter holidays."

"To who?"

"You must understand, I simply needed to dispose of it?"

"_**Who **_Borgin! _**Who did you sell it to**_!"

"Bellatrix Lestrange."


	43. Chapter 43

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 43

"_Betrayal is the only truth that sticks."_

—_Arthur Miller—_

_Hog's Head—May 1998_

Snape stood outside the dingy bar, contemplating the irony of this meeting. All those years ago, he stumbled across information that changed the course of his life—and cost him the life of his greatest love.

Willing tears in his eyes to remain unshed, he stepped into the bar and walked past the barkeep without a backwards glance. He sensed more than saw two people rise from one of the tables, pay the barkeep, and follow him up the stairs.

Snape paused very briefly as he passed the second room on the left and then walked down the hall, turned left and stepped into the third room on the left. He removed his traveling cloak and sat down at the desk, watching people walk through the village under the watchful eye of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. The Dark Lord's grip on the country was not particularly strong in general. But he held Hogsmeade and put defenses in place that would make it nearly impossible for Arthur Weasley to take the village.

"Peaceful isn't it," said Bill Weasley from the door, lowering his hood. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked ready to collapse from exhaustion. Snape felt a twinge of regret. He joined Voldemort immediately after graduation, effectively fighting in the war from the age of seventeen. He remembered the sleepless days, even weeks as he did the Dark Lord's bidding. Bill showed the same signs of aging. From what McGonagall said, Bill had been running non-stop since Ron died.

None of that showed on his face though. He was too accustomed to his mask of stoicism that he didn't even know if he could take it off. "It isn't now," he said. "But it will be. I imagine you have news for me towards that end."

Bill nodded and sat down on the bed. "After Ron died, Harry told us something about what they were doing. I am telling you this now without his knowledge but as I understand…"

Snape held up his hand. "I am already aware that the Dark Lord has created horcruxes. On that day, I helped remove a fragment of his soul from Nagini. Do you have news of other horcruxes?"

"I do. According to Harry, that monster created six. Five have been destroyed already. The remaining is a locket that once belonged to Slytherin."

Snape nodded, a deep sense of satisfaction welling up inside of him. They were nearly there. "What news do you have about the locket?"

"Sirius' brother tried to destroy it a number of years ago, shortly before his death. He failed and the locket remained in Grimmauld Place until Mum started cleaning it out. Kreacher took it to make sure it wouldn't be thrown out but last summer, Mundungus stole it when he ransacked the house."

"Mundungus sold it I take it."

"No, it was actually confiscated last fall by Umbridge. Apparently she didn't know what it was though. But eventually even she felt the effects and figured out that something was dangerously wrong with the locket. She panicked and sold it to Borgin. Naturally Borgin knew immediately what it was and he sold it to the first person he could."

Snape leaned closer to Bill. "To whom did he sell it?"

* * *

_Hogwarts—May 1998_

Bellatrix Lestrange, once upon a time, had been like the students she "taught" at Hogwarts: wide-eyed, naïve, and innocent (at least by the standards of Slytherin House). Her family was an ancient and noble house and she was a young lady of prominence.

It was not unexpected, given her family's history of pureblood obsession, that she would join the ranks of Lord Voldemort. He had only been active in the country for ten years when she graduated. She was entranced with everything the Death Eaters had to offer. And then she came in the presence of Lord Voldemort and it was love at first sight.

She surrendered herself to his teachings more completely than any of the new Death Eaters. In barely a year, she joined the elite ranks of his Death Eaters. She was euphoric! It was the greatest moment of her young life.

And she remembered the summons he issued to her and her alone that fateful night. He had commandeered one of Lucius' mansions and the master bedroom and office was his domain. She was so afraid when she knocked on his door; her knees were shaking so frightfully.

Then he opened the door.

His red eyes held her own and she knew that no matter what defenses she tried to put up, nothing would keep him from penetrating her mind. But she never thought—_**never considered**_—keeping him from her mind. From the moment she first saw him, she wanted him to possess her, to dominate her, to succumb so totally to his power that she would never be the same.

At that time, she was convinced he loved her. Oh, certainly not as deeply as she loved him but more than he cared for anyone else. Those red eyes captivated her in ways she could never explain. Others would say it was like looking into the fires of Hell. To her, they were portals to the most powerful and seductive force to grace the Earth.

And on this night, when he greeted her, he gave her everything she wanted and more. There was no tenderness in their couplings. But that was not what she wanted. She wanted to _feel _his power. And he did not hold back. The bruises and burns took weeks to fully heal and she could hardly walk the entire day after.

It was the most glorious day of her life and from then on, she knew that she and the Dark Lord would be lovers.

But fate moved in mysterious ways. Two weeks later, she found that she was pregnant. At first, she was afraid. She knew her Lord did not desire an heir. After all, he would live forever. For what purpose would he want or need an heir. She feared that the news would cause him to discard her forever.

She could never have expected his rapture at the news. At first he was taken aback but then he smiled. It was great news he said. The child would never know who his real father was but Bellatrix could raise him in the ways of the Dark Arts and Voldemort would contribute to his training personally. She was elated.

Then, one week before she was due, something happened. She had awoken one night in a pool of blood and gore, her blade lying bare inches from her outstretched hand. She was near death but then she noticed that her child—Lord Voldemort's child—was dead. And she was to blame!

And he was so disappointed with her. He did not desire an heir but felt that a child with his genes would be a formidable witch or wizard, and that would help him conquer the world. He punished her viciously, condemning her for negligence. He nearly drove her to insanity. And some would say he did, but he left her with some semblance of sanity and rationality. She would spend the rest of her life trying to earn his forgiveness, committing greater and greater acts of violence. Anything to rekindle the love they shared.

But now, something was wrong. She had dreams of Lord Voldemort standing over her, wand drawn, commanding her to kill her child. They were truly horrific nightmares and while a part of her mind tried to convince her they were not true, she could no longer deny that she never killed her child willingly. Her lord and master, in effort to break her mind and make her mindlessly obedient, forced her to kill her child and hid the memories so she would never realize the truth.

She was a tool, nothing more or less. And that thought drove her to contemplate killing herself on several occasions. But then the old Bellatrix Black asserted herself. There was more to her being in Slytherin besides an affinity for the Dark Arts. She was an extremely intelligent and resourceful witch. So she changed tactics. She had no use for the mudbloods and their filthy muggle pets. But she wanted Voldemort's blood for all that he had done to her.

So she hatched a plan. Oh, on the surface she continued to act in a way that would not draw the suspicions of Lucius or the Slytherin students. But she developed plans to kill Voldemort, or at least weaken him so someone else could finish the job. Each passing day, more and more of the old Bellatrix surfaced, fighting the restraints that Voldemort put in place that night he tried to break her mind forever.

But she never could come up with a plan. Every avenue seemed to be a dead end. Then she found herself in Borgin and Burke's shop during Easter holiday. Voldemort called a meeting of all his Death Eaters. She was immensely grateful for the masks they wore because they hid her expressions. Given how many people were in the room, she was sure her occlumency shields would, if not mask her thoughts, at least make it hard for him to identify they belonged to her.

After the meeting, she ventured into Knockturn Alley. She did not initially intend to go into the shop but she noticed how alarmed Borgin was while working with another customer. He was doing his very best to act calm but she could tell that whatever the woman was selling, he really, _really _did not want to buy it. But he did. Bellatrix waited until the woman (some Ministry hag but she couldn't remember the name) left the shop before entering.

Borgin nearly panicked when he realized whom his new customer was. But Bellatrix was not deterred. She demanded to see the thing he bought. He handed it over but he was conflicted. When she realized it was an old Slytherin family heirloom, she was about to ask him what he was so nervous about. Then she really felt the power of the locket. She nearly whooped for joy.

So this was how Voldemort stayed alive! He had a horcrux. And now she had it. Borgin didn't put up much resistance when she walked out after only paying five galleons. He actually muttered something about it coming full circle, whatever that meant. As soon as she could, she apparated back to Hogwarts.

But it had been six weeks since Easter and she still had not destroyed it. She really had no idea how. No spell, charm, or jinx worked and there were no books in the library that had anything about Horcruxes. The only reason she could identify it and knew what it was is because she read about the artifacts once upon a time in the Black family library. But it had nothing, at least that she could remember, about how to destroy them.

A subtle knock at her door jarred her out of her thoughts. She fixed a scowl on her face. "Enter," she said angrily. Her eyes narrowed as Snape stepped into her office. "What is it _Headmaster_." She laced his title with as much scorn as she could. She never trusted Snape, entirely unsure of his motives. Now that she was working against the Dark Lord, she was even more suspicious of him.

He looked at her impassively, his eyes staring at her with no emotion. "There is something I must discuss with you Bellatrix."

"What is this," she said, fixing a scowl on her face but at the same time feeling a rush of panic. She knew Snape was a master of legilimency and while she didn't feel him entering her mind, she couldn't be sure he hadn't at some point.

But Snape made no aggressive moves towards her. He removed his wand and placed several secrecy wards and spells over the room. The he sat down in the chair across from her, his eyes looking at her with that damnable impassiveness.

"Bellatrix, you have been acting very differently these past weeks." He stared hard at her but again she felt no push on her occlumency protections. "For instance, you are not trying to fight me for warding your office and essentially locking you and I here together. That is not like you, especially since I know you have never fully trusted me. What has happened?"

She looked down. How could she have been so foolish? Of course Snape would be watching her closely. "Nothing has happened Snape," she spat. Even she knew how silly that sounded.

Snape looked at her for nearly a minute without expression. "Bellatrix, I am asking you, for perhaps the first time in your life, to trust me. What has happened to you?"

"I could ask you the same questions Snape," she said angrily. "The Dark Lord has always implicitly trusted you but there has always been something amiss. Ever since he killed the Potters, you have been distant. I don't care that you've been loyal till now. You have your own agenda."

Snape raised an eyebrow and Bellatrix sensed that he was making a decision. He got to his feet and cast a few more secrecy wards. "Charles, please come here," Snape called out with his back still to Bellatrix. The head House Elf on staff appeared with a _pop_.

"Master Snape requests Charles," he said elegantly.

"I need you to facilitate an unbreakable vow between Professor Lestrange and I. Everything that is said within this room after we make the vow will stay between the two of us."

Bellatrix was flummoxed. "What are you talking about Snape?"

"It is time that we confront these issues that we have, both with one another and those we have with those around us. I am willing to keep what we say today between the two of us." He looked at her intently, as if sizing her up. "Are you willing to do the same?" She thought about his offer for a moment then stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"Charles, please begin. Remember, all that will be said in this room between the two of us will stay between us under penalty of death."

The house elf bowed and placed his hand above their hands. "As you wish Headmaster. Do you swear Headmaster Snape, under penalty of death, that all that Professor Lestrange may share with you in this room right now will stay between the two of you?"

"I do."

"Do you Professor Lestrange swear, under penalty of death, that all that Headmaster Snape shares with you in this room right now will stay between the two of you?"

She looked hard into his fathomless black eyes for a full minute before answering. "I do."

A ball of magic came from the elf's hand and swallowed their hands before being absorbed into their bodies. She briefly reflected on how the process was a different when a witch or wizard conducted the ceremony. Perhaps because their magic was different the way it would be cast was different.

The two Professors/disenchanted Death Eaters (though neither knew the truth about the other) released their hands and stared at one another, unsure of who would begin.

"Charles," Snape said, turning to the elf. "Please leave us." The elf bowed and disappeared.

"So what happens now," he said under his breath. "Very well Bellatrix. Now that we know that whatever we say will stay between the two of us, you may ask whatever you wish."

She watched as he settled himself down for a long chat and she found herself at a loss. "Are you with the Dark Lord or not?"

"I am not," he answered calmly, though she noticed he flinched a little, as if unsure Voldemort wouldn't hear them. "Sixteen years ago, nearly seventeen, I made a terrible mistake and because of me, the greatest love of my life was murdered by the Dark Lord. From then on, I swore that I would do whatever I could to avenge her memory and honor all the good that she represented and once said she saw in me."

"Who was this person?"

Snape looked impassive but not even he could keep a tear from sliding down his cheek. "Lily Potter née Evans. I loved her from the moment I first saw here when we were children. She had an indefinable quality that I could not identify then but have since realized was a tremendous capacity for love. She saw the good in everyone, even a dirty, poor, angry little boy. And that good was what drew me to her."

"But then she was sorted in Gryffindor and I foolishly believed that was fate's way of saying I was not good enough. I drifted towards people like Lucius who recognized everything low in me but still offered me a chance to prove myself. I considered them friends but I was a fool."

He looked down, wiping at his eyes. "Even then, she remained convinced of the good in me. But I was angry because I thought James Potter would steal her away from me. He was a better wizard than I when we were in school and I was afraid his prowess would cause me to lose Lily to him. But if I had only listened to Lily, I could've been a better person."

He paused, taking a moment to gather himself. "What else do you wish to know?"

"What was your role in the Potter's death?" She noticed him hesitate again but this time she sensed that was because he was weighing how much he should say. "If you are expecting me to trust you Severus—and vice versa—you cannot withhold information. I will explain why I am now working against the Dark Lord but if you are not completely honest, I will not be either."

Snape sighed. "Very well. Seventeen years ago, more or less, I was taking a drink at the Hog's Head. Even then, the Dark Lord saw me as a resource to help take Hogwarts. Back then, my task was to scout Hogsmeade and spy on the Professors as they came into the village."

"What if there were multiple there at once," she interrupted.

"Then I was to work in order of their importance to the Dark Lord. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Slughorn topped the list above all costs, followed by Hagrid. On August 6th 1979, I was taking drinks in Hog's Head, as I was saying. Three months in position and I had precious little to report. I was gravely afraid of the Dark Lord's retribution."

"But then Dumbledore entered the pub. I kept drinking, lest I draw his attention. Perhaps five minutes after he ascended the stairs, I gave the barkeep five galleons for room and board and went up myself. I went from room to room, trying desperately to find where Dumbledore had went. Finally I found the door and I began to listen. It was a silly job interview. None of the language was in code I deduced fairly quickly."

"I was about to give it up as a lost cause when I heard a strangled gurgle followed by wood snapping. Then Dumbledore's companion spoke the prophecy that the Dark Lord so desired two years ago. I don't know if I heard it all; I very much doubt I did."

"Why?"

"Because the barkeep, suspicious of my behavior I suppose, tackled me as I listened. He manhandled me downstairs and threw me out into the street. I did what I thought best; I hastened straight to the Dark Lord's side to report what I heard."

Bellatrix looked at him shrewdly. "What did you hear?"

Snape shook his head. "I will explain more when I learn more about your current intentions. Tell me Bellatrix, what has caused your recent change in disposition?"

"Don't mistake my intentions Snape," she said harshly. "I am not all of a sudden supporting the mudblood and muggle-loving agenda of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter."

Snape showed no signs of reaction at that outburst. "I did not think so. Your feelings towards the Dark Lord have obviously changed though."

"I remembered something that happened shortly after I joined the Death Eater ranks in 1970," she replied. "You were not a member of course but I was infatuated with the Dark Lord." She frowned sadly. "I fooled myself into believing I loved him and he care for me too. In October that year, he finally gave me everything I had wanted when I first saw him in person. It was what I had always wanted."

"But then I realized I was pregnant with his heir. He did not want competition. I was afraid he would reject me. I would not be able to handle that if he did. But imagine my surprise when he accepted our baby and accepted me as well. I was euphoric. And he trained me in the most advanced Dark Arts. I was going to be his number two, his secret lover, and our child would grow to never know his or her father but would become his number three in time. It was perfect."

Her face paled and tears began sliding silently down her cheeks. "But then, one week before the baby was due, I awoke in a pool of blood and gore. I had somehow gone mad and killed my baby and nearly killed me. I failed the Dark Lord and he punished me severely for my failure. Something in my mind snapped and I devoted myself to reclaiming the favor I once held. I committed greater and greater acts of violence, foolishly hoping he would accept me again as his closest supporter."

"But he never did. I have oceans of blood on my hands Severus, blood I would never have if I hadn't joined him. Redemption and revenge are driving me now."

"Revenge for what?"

"I didn't go mad and somehow kill my baby and nearly kill myself. The Dark Lord made me kill our baby. I believe he wanted all along to snap my mind and make me mindlessly obedient to him. And he succeeded, or nearly did. I do not know how I came to remember the truth but I've had dreams for months and finally, three weeks ago, I understood the truth. And at that moment I dedicated myself to defeating the Dark Lord. Or, if Potter is truly the only one who can, I will help weaken him so Potter's victory is assured."

She paused for a moment, fighting back further tears of equal parts anger and grief. After a couple of moments, she wiped her eyes and looked back at Snape. "Now you understand why I've changed. Are you satisfied?" He nodded. "Good. Now, tell me more about what you heard of the prophecy."

"There isn't much to say unfortunately. I only heard that there was a boy who was going to be born at the end of July to parents who thrice defied the Dark Lord who would vanquish him. I am certain I missed more but Dumbledore never trusted me enough to give me access to the whole prophecy. Perhaps because I was acting as a double agent against the Death Eaters, he did not want all his fruit in one basket, especially a basket that hung so close to the Dark Lord. Whatever the remaining portion of the prophecy, Potter is the one destined to defeat the Dark Lord and over the past year, I have helped prepare things so that he will be able to when the time comes."

"How can you be sure that Potter is the only one that can kill the Dark Lord? Is the prophecy enough, especially since you did not hear it all?"

Snape contemplated the question for a moment before nodded. "I am certain it will be Potter that will defeat the Dark Lord in the end. When it is all said and done, Potter is the only wizard who is powerful enough to face him in a one-on-one duel and survive. And I am not speaking only of magical prowess, though Potter has become quite talented over the years. The Dark Lord is an imposing man. Tell me Bellatrix, even with your newfound anger, do you believe you could resist him?"

Bellatrix thought she could but that was in the here and now. If she were standing before the Dark Lord, preparing for a duel, and he taunted her or goaded her, she was sure she would overreact. That was his greatest strength, in her opinion; he could use a person's emotions to make them irrational.

"I probably would not be able to. But does that mean Potter can?"

"I believe Potter's ability to love is one ability that the Dark Lord will never fully appreciate. Potter has suffered so much at his hand, been exposed to some of the darkest magic known to wizard kind, been forced into the mind of the Dark Lord and experienced his worst memories, and still can stand before the Dark Lord and resist his mind games."

"So what can we do to help Potter defeat him," she asked. "As I said, I care very little if Potter survives the exchange, so long as the Dark Lord dies. But I will help in anyway to defeat the Dark Lord."

Snape scrutinized her. "You can start by giving me the locket you got from Borgin over Easter break."

Her mouth fell open. "How…how do you know?"

"An ally informed me earlier today. That was one reason I needed to understand your sudden change of heart." Snape rose to his feet. "Please show me the locket."

Bellatrix stared at him for another minute before going over to her office. She tapped her wand on a drawer several times, muttering different incantations. She grabbed the locket after it popped open and handed it to Snape.

He looked at the locket. "This is it," he said under his breath and she could hear the excitement in his voice. He placed the locket on a desk and pulled out…

"What is that," she asked, taking a closer look. "Is that a fang?"

Snape's eyes never left the locket; he merely palmed the fang, spinning it in his hand as he looked at the locket as if it was a long-lost love. "It is, from a basilisk that Potter killed in his second year. Weasley and Granger somehow managed to venture down into the Chamber of Secrets and nicked a handful of fangs. Now, we end this."

He lunged forward, throwing his entire weight behind the blow. Bellatrix watched and everything moved in slow motion: the fang moved closer and closer to the locket—it was merely inches away.

Then the locket blew open in a rush of smoke and fire. Bellatrix was thrown backwards in a heap and she heard Snape land with a crash upon her desk. Then she saw something that chilled her to the bone.

She had never met the James and Lily Potter but knew them from several encounters with the Order. They had been fearsome opponents but never truly scary. These incarnations were an embodiment of evil, staring at Snape with eyes blazing pure white.

She couldn't hear any of what they were saying but she could tell that whatever they were saying, it was too much for Snape to bear. She tried desperately to cast spells against the images but they would not respond; they focused all of their attention on Snape.

She tried desperately to work her way towards Snape but she could get no closer than a few feet before "Lily" threw her arm out towards Bellatrix, sending her flying backwards. Seeing stars, she yelled out for Snape.

"Ignore them Severus. For God's sake, don't listen to them. Destroy the locket!"

For the first time she heard voices from the images. In her blurry haze, she also saw a new image stepping out of the smoke but she couldn't tell exactly who or what it was.

_Mother, you disappoint me._

The voice sounded so far away but it gripped her heart tight with a mixture of pain and fear. "Who are you?"

_You do not recognize your own son. Allow me to help you._

Bellatrix suddenly regained her ability to see and she looked into the face of a person she had never seen but recognized immediately. Her son was so handsome with gorgeous facial features and jet-black hair. He had her eyes and nose but otherwise looked like a wizard patriarch. His eyes stared at her with disbelief.

_How can you be in league with this traitor?_

Bellatrix shook her head. "You're not real. You're…you're dead," she said with a sob.

_Mother, I perished because you were not faithful to father. He sensed that you were more devoted to me, your unborn son, than to him. He needed you. I do not resent his decision. If I had been born, you would've strayed from his side, ensuring that we both would've died eventually._

Bellatrix shook her head. "No, he never wanted you. He never wanted anyone to threaten him."

_How could I have threatened him mother? He is the most powerful wizard in the world! How can a mere child stand against the might of Lord Voldemort!_

Bellatrix stared hard at the illusion of her son. "You're not my son. You're Voldemort, an illusion trying to protect us from destroying the locket. Well, I'm going to stop you!"

The illusion laughed a high cold laugh, the laugh of Lord Voldemort. _You will try Bellatrix._

Bellatrix looked over at Snape and saw he was about to stab himself with the fang as Lily berated him viciously (albeit silently as far as Bellatrix was concerned). She cast a lightening spell that managed to pierce the illusions of the Potters and send Snape flying into the far corner. She manipulated the lightening to form a shield to protect him.

As the illusions of the Potters advanced on her along with her "son," she smiled darkly. "You're finished."

She ran forward and jumped forward with all the strength she could muster, casting a powerful lightening spell that let her pass through the illusions and reach the locket. She grabbed the chain and looked at her "son."

"I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "I was a fool."

_What are you doing?_

Bellatrix brought her wand and the locket in front of her chest and cast fiendfyre, incinerating the office and destroying the locket as the illusions screamed in desperation.


	44. Chapter 44

_A/N: I do not own the characters of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes, save those of my own invention._

_**Special Note 1: For an explanation of how Harry's presence influences the timeline, please read my preface to chapter 1. For an explanation how this applies to the portraits and boggart in the Room of Requirement, please read my epilogue in chapter 11.**_

Chapter 44

_Spinners End 1998_

_Severus Snape looked around a beautiful grove, the sun shining brightly in the sky and a cool breeze blowing through the grass. It was a wonderful scene, but something in the distance caught his eye: a lone woman in pure white robes with rose trim. Her red hair ruffled lightly in the breeze. Even from the distance he recognized the woman. The memories of what had transpired recently flooded his memory and he reached for his wand, convinced that this was a further assault on his mind by the horcrux. But his wand was not there. And Lily Potter simply watched him silently._

"_What are you doing here," he called. "What do you want with me?" She did not answer, not with words. But she approached him. Snape tried to back away but something prevented him from._

"_What magic is this," he whispered, feeling quite afraid at the moment, something he had not felt in many years._

"_You may consider this an intervention of sorts," Lily answered, her voice soft and soothing, exactly as he remembered and quite unlike the demon that assaulted him before he could destroy the horcrux._

_Snape stared at Lily, unable to take his eyes of her but still feeling very much afraid. "Am I dead," he asked, though he assumed the answer would be yes._

_But she shook her head. "Fortunately not. The magic of Tom's horcrux had a rather unusual effect on you."_

"_Why? And how am I talking here to you now?"_

_Lily smiled. "You're not dead but you're at the crossing." She looked even more mischievous, which did not ease his nerves, though when they were kids he always loved that look. "I am not here to hurt you Severus." She reached out and grabbed his hand, her emerald green eyes holding his own tight in her gaze. "After everything you have done for Harry and his friends, I am in your debt."_

_Snape shuffled uneasily. He had always loathed Harry, though in honest moments he understood that he projected his hate of James on Harry. That said, until this year he dismissed Harry as yet another prodigy who would never realize his potential. But his actions this year showed Snape there was more to the boy than even he dared imagine. _

_Lily smiled, as if reading his thoughts. "I know you never cared for Harry, at least on the surface. You told yourself you were doing everything for me, to honor me. Whatever your intentions, you have been a good guardian, even if you are an awful professor."_

_He scowled at her description of his teaching. "Those children, or at least most of them, are daft," he said haughtily. His scowl deepened when Lily laughed like a loon._

"_Oh come now Severus, you have many capable students. In all fairness, from top to bottom, Harry's class is probably one of the best to pass through Hogwarts, at least since our own. Just like when we were kids, you think you everyone who's not aloof and, forgive me, a bit of a bookworm, is daft." Before Snape could retort, she shook her head. "I am here because I am the person whom you would want to speak with more than any other on your deathbed." She smiled again, a dazzling white smile and led him to a bench that suddenly appeared. "So let's talk. You need to return to your body soon."_

"_I need to return to my body? Would that not imply I am dead?"_

"_As I said, you are at the crossing. Granted, you do have a choice of passing on but I swear that I will make your afterlife a living hell, as will Albus, James, and Sirius if you even consider passing on." She looked fierce, which he thought was a great look on her as well. Again, she seemed to be reading his thoughts because her eyes twinkled. But she also frowned. "Severus, you must get over me. Up until the end, I always believed in the good in you and hoped that you would come to your senses and live up to the potential I saw in you when we were kids."_

_Snape looked down, a sad smile on his lips. "But you never loved me," he said dejectedly._

"_Not as a lover perhaps Severus. But you must remember that you were my closest friend…up until that one day." Snape looked even grimmer, remembering the day she spoke of._

"_I'm sorry," he said softly._

"_I know you are Severus. And I knew you were then but I also knew you were not ready to leave your housemates, even if you truly hated them. They were the first people after me to show any interest in you, even if as a tool." Lily looked upset both with how his Slytherin housemates treated him but also with Severus himself for being so weak._

_Snape was lost in melancholy. "There was only ever you," he said sadly._

'_Well, then you may as well pass on because that will never happen," she replied with a modicum of danger. "Damn it Sev, it didn't work with me. But do you believe I was the only girl who would ever have you?"_

"_You were the only girl I wanted."_

_Lily rolled her eyes. "That's very sweet Severus but in case you didn't notice, I died. And I wasn't married to you at the time. Ironically, thanks to that mad bastard you used to follow, you have another chance to make a life for yourself. Dumbledore and I want you to be happy. After everything you been through, admittedly some of it being self-inflicted, you deserve happiness."_

_Lily shook her head. "But we cannot discuss that now. You need to return to your body but you need to understand what you are returning to." She stood and paced in front of Snape for few moments. "It is impossible to be sure how you managed to survive Bellatrix Lestrange's fiendfyre. Dumbledore believes it is both because you are still branded with the Dark Mark but also your actions to rid Nagini of the soul in her."_

_Snape was confused now. "How would the mark make the effects worse?"_

"_Dumbledore was always suspicious of the Dark Mark. Witches and wizards have branded their followers in the past but they have merely been tattoos that stay with the witch or wizard for the rest of their life with no change to their appearance. But the Dark Mark seemed more of a barometer of the Dark Lord's life. After he was defeated, it faded and in the years of his absence until he sought the stone, it nearly disappeared. After Harry prevented him from securing the stone, it faded away again, to near invisibility."_

"_Then, throughout 1994, the Mark burned again, become darker until it burned hot to signal his return. This is a magic beyond any mere branding. The Mark is connected to Voldemort's soul. It is what allows him to have such power over his followers. And, for you, it is what magnified the effects of the horcrux as it defended itself."_

"_But what does Nagini have to do with this?"_

"_When you removed the soul fragment from her body, it sensed a connection to its master, through the Mark. It tried to bond with the Mark, until you were able to force it into the troll," answered Lily, looking at him sadly. "Even in failure, it communicated with the Mark, as well as your own soul. Similar to what happened when Ginny was invaded by Tom's soul fragment, your soul was tainted by his, crude cousins as it were, by soul instead of by blood. When the fragment in the locket realized a relative was attempting to destroy it, it redoubled its efforts to break your will."_

_Snape scratched his head. "So the piece from Nagini, together with the Mark, turned me into Tom's relative? That makes no sense!"_

"_You were not blood relatives. Like Ginny and Harry, his dark deeds created a connection beyond the bounds of normal magic, something nefarious that not even he intended. But when Bellatrix destroyed the horcrux, her magical fire burned you as well, despite her shield."_

"_So I should be dead?"_

_Lily nodded. "The fire should've killed you but Voldemort's magic kept you alive. And that is why you are here."_

"_Explain."_

"_The Dark Mark, fused with the energy of Voldemort's soul that you removed, effectively tethered you to Voldemort. When you return to consciousness, the Mark will be gone because the connection you share with Tom has been severed. But he will know and you, and by extension the students, will be in terrible danger."_

_Snape couldn't believe what he heard. He was free! "I can't believe I'm finally free," he said._

_Lily smiled. "You are Sev. When this awful war is over, you will be free." She grabbed his hands, her green eyes holding his with grim determination. "Please protect Harry Sev. He needs you more than ever."_

_Snape shook his head. "He has become a better warrior than I could ever hope to be."_

"_I am not speaking of fighting. Like Dumbledore, he is going to have the weight of the world on his shoulders after the war is over. But, where Dumbledore had no one in whom he could confide, you and Harry can be there for one another."_

_Snape sat silently, his mind racing at the implications of being free after the war. He never cared for Potter, even if he respected him now. But was that true now? Snape looked in his conscious and found that he did care for Potter. The boy was reminded him of James but, as Dumbledore said once upon a time, his deepest nature was like Lily. _

_He nodded. "I'll work with Harry," he promised._

* * *

_Hogwarts 1998_

Snape coughed and hacked, his skin stinging and burning, though he felt his body covered with an anti-burn paste. _Where am I?_

As he gathered his bearings, he realized his was in his office, on a newly conjured stretcher. Near his bed chamber, he saw Madam Pomfrey talking urgently with Neville Longbottom and Tracey Davis. "Poppy," he called near silently as his voice refused to work. He tried again and again a third time. The last did the trick.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Poppy exclaimed. "You're alive." She pulled a small vial out of her apron and tipped it gently into his mouth. Snape hated the vile potion but immediately he felt his skin secreting a fluid that worked with the paste and he felt his skin heal quickly.

"Thank you Poppy," he said shortly. "Where is Professor Lestrange?"

The matron shared a look with the two teenagers. "She's dead," Neville answered, a modicum of satisfaction in his voice. Snape could not fault the boy; he did not know about her sudden change of heart with regards to Voldemort. Tracey pulled something ashen and melted out of her pocket. "This was found on a pile of ash we believe is all that remains of her physical body."

Snape reached tentatively for the locket, his hands shaking. He knew immediately it was destroyed and the fragment of Voldemort's soul was gone. He couldn't resist smiling.

"What are you so excited about Professor," Neville asked suspiciously. The realization dawned in his eyes. "Was…is that Slytherin's locket?"

Snape nodded. "It is. The final horcrux is destroyed. Now the Dark Lord is mortal once more."

Quite suddenly, Snape remembered the vision with Lily and jerked his left arm. He laughed with relief. The Dark Mark was gone!

Then he quickly sobered. "How long have I been out?"

"You've been unconscious for a little over 12 hours. One of the school elves found us to tell us you had been injured. We thought you were dead actually."

Snape's mind was racing. They needed to act quickly. "Poppy, gather the professors except for Lucius Malfoy at once and bring them here. Neville, return to the Room of Requirement and seal off every secret passage out of this castle you lot created. _Every _single one, am I clear?" He waited for the boy to nod and leave him with Tracey. "Miss Davis, find Lucius Malfoy take him to the Slytherin common room and initiate Protocol 8."

She nodded grimly. "Do you want me to stay with the house?"

Snape shook his head. "Gather your comrades. Once I see you are out of the common room, I will lock it down permanently. The time has come for the school to prepare herself for siege." The young woman nodded again and left.

* * *

When Neville arrived in the Room of Requirement, it buzzing with plans for defending the castle. In the time since Ron died, they had worked around the clock to supplement whatever protections Snape had for the castle. They still had more to go but he was immensely proud of the progress they had made already.

"Sonourus," he said, pointing his wand at his throat. "MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION? I AM SEALING OFF EVERY SECRET PASSAGE OUT OF HOGWARTS WE HAVE CREATED! DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM! DO NOT SEND WORD TO OUT ALLIES IN HOGSMEADE! LUNA, SEAMUS, DEAN, HANNAH, ANTHONY, AND SUSAN PLEASE COME WITH ME IMMEDIATELY! Quietus."

Ignoring any questions, Neville made his way towards the room with the portraits of Dumbledore and Harry. He wished that Harry had been there but his portrait was empty. _Come back soon Harry. We need you._

He found the lever on the far wall, which controlled all passages in the room, no matter what the others may request. It gave the leaders of the DA a safeguard against accidental requests or threats. A modified Marauder's Map, one that showed the passages to Hogsmeade and other off site points disappeared from the map.

His friends and fellow officers met him by the exit. "Thanks guys. We need to get back to Professor Snape."

They exclaimed. "What's happened," asked Dean.

"Snape destroyed the last weapon and his Dark Mark was lost, somehow, in the process. Voldemort will now that Snape is no longer branded and he'll probably make a play for Hogwarts."

"But I thought you said Snape already lost Voldemort's trust," Seamus said. "Isn't that why we've been working overtime to fortify the protections for the school?"

Neville nodded, never breaking stride as they took every possible secret passage down to the second floor. "That is what I thought, and I believe it was true. But this is worse. After the first war, no one was able to remove a Dark Mark. Whatever magic that monster used, it was powerful and it tied his followers to him. For it to be gone…it can't be good."

"Do you think he's going to try and invade Hogwarts soon," Hannah asked.

"I do. When I have no idea but we'll find out more when we get back to Snape's office."

* * *

"Professor Malfoy! Professor Malfoy," Tracey called urgently, knocking on his office door. When he opened the door, she seized his hand and pulled him with her. "Come quickly. There is a problem in the dungeons and I couldn't go to Snape." She put undue stress on that last sentence, well aware of the lack of trust Malfoy had for Snape. As she hoped, the patrician wizard stood taller.

"What's happened," he asked, freeing himself so he could grab his wand.

"Several members of the DA," she spat the name of her boyfriend's organization with suitable contempt, "were caught in the dungeons, no doubt spying on the Slytherins. How they managed to get into the dungeons without any professor noticing them…it seemed highly convenient."

The vain wizard bought it hook line and sinker. "Very well Miss Davis. Have your housemates detained them?"

"We managed to capture most, probably over half. But we were outnumbered so a few, cowards mostly, managed to escape."

"No matter," Lucius said. He rubbed his hands predatorily. "We'll soon find out where the truth lies."

In short order, they arrived in front of the entrance. "Milord," Lucius said, giving the password. He took two steps in before gaping in surprise. "What?"

Before he could cast any spell, Tracey forced her wand into his side, sending a powerful current of energy through his body. He fell to his knees with a groan, whereupon she kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. "I'll take that," she said, grabbing his wand and throwing it into the fire.

She bound and gagged him with temporary spells that would wear off in five minutes, more than enough to ensure they would be able to leave unmolested. The other members of Slytherin not part of her organization were similarly bound and gagged, they eyes burning with hate at their fellows who captured them.

She gave an approving nod to her allies. "Good work everyone. Were there any difficulties?"

Blaise shook his head. "No problems. What do we do now?"

"Professor Snape will lock this room down permanently in a couple of minutes. After that," she shrugged. "Let's go. Neville and his officers are probably already with Snape and the other Professors. Blaise, Rachel, and Patty you'll come with me. The rest of you lot, go to the Room of Requirement and wait with the DA."

Her fellow officers followed her to the second floor while three dozen of their friends raced up to the seventh floor. Protocol 8 went off without a hitch. She only hoped they would be able to protect the school from the Dark Lord's onslaught.

* * *

The normally spacious office was extremely crowded. Snape counted his blessings that the other professors, most of them anyway, did not try to kill him on sight. But McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout, the only staff members also full members of the Order of the Phoenix, defended Snape. Dumbledore was a great help as well. So while some looked mutinous, they did not leave. In fact, when Neville, Tracey, and their officers arrived, they looked very surprised.

"Good work you two," Snape said proudly. Neville and Tracey looked pleased, holding one another's hand.

"Why are you congratulating them Snape," Professor Grubbly-Plank asked.

"Over the past year, Neville and Davis have led a large number of the students in a revolt against the Carrows and later Malfoy and Lestrange. All of their efforts have been invaluable in protecting the students from the worse fates and, given current events, they have worked to supplement the protections of this school so we are better protected when the Dark Lo…when _Voldemort _tries to invade this castle."

"Is it wise you use the students in the war against You-Know-Who," asked Professor Vector.

"Given the circumstances, they're going to be part of this war one way or the other. I assure you I will endeavor to remove everyone from the 4th year and below from the castle when that time comes but Potter, Longbottom, Davis, and others have trained our students well. And we will be with them as well."

"And that brings me to the pending attack. I cannot be sure when he will try to breach the castle but I believe it will be sooner rather than later." Snape rolled up his left sleeve and showed them his forearm. Several Professors gasped, while others looked pleased. "The Dark Mark is no mere tattoo. It connects Voldemort to all his followers on an unnatural level. Mine has been removed, though I am not even now completely sure why. He will know and will no longer trust me. Who he cannot trust must die. And since he believed Hogwarts safely under his control with me as Headmaster, he will be doubly furious that he lost the school."

The professors shared looks, some looking scared but the majority, including those scared, were resolved. "This is our school and these are out students. To hell with Tom if he thinks he can get to them," ground out Professor Trelawney, to the surprise of everyone. After an awkward pause, Professor McGonagall embraced the woman.

"Are you all prepared to do what is necessary to defeat Lord Voldemort," Snape asked. Everyone nodded. "Good. While Poppy was gathering everyone, I've enacted every ward and protection I have studied this year. I've sent the suits of armor to guard the gates. I've sent several elves to the centaurs to recruit them to the fight as well. Wilhelmina, I ask that you assist them."

"Of course Severus," she said stoically. "Shall I begin training willing students to fly the thestrals as well?"

"That is a good idea. See if the centaurs can provide you with armor for them as well." His colleague nodded.

"Neville and the DA have been working tirelessly since Voldemort last came to the school to fortify weak points in the castle. I have seen their work. I recommend other professors, in your endeavors to use your own special brand of magic to protect the school, recruit students to assist you. You are all aware of your own prodigies."

"What of the Order of Phoenix," asked McGonagall.

"Those not employed by the Ministry should be brought here as soon as possible. I know it will put other areas at risk but right now the Ministry and Hogwarts are his objectives. He will not bother with other targets, not now. Send word and I will have Neville open one entrance for them."

"This war is nearly over. Soon Potter will return and when he does, the final act will begin. And _**we will win**_."

* * *

_Birmingham 1998_

Cyrus smiled hungrily as his prey struggled uselessly against his bonds. He was a weak, pathetic excuse for a wizard but there was a conniving mind there, something that made him more dangerous in many ways than a more powerful wizard.

He spent several days robbing the man of his mind, not merely his memories. The memory walk was a lethal technique but very useful. He felt a deeper connection with this man than if he copied a few memories. He was becoming this man, which would make him a perfect spy, until he could approach his next target.

As he prepared for another invasion, he felt his Mark burn. He hated the blasted thing but Voldemort would not allow him to refuse. He pressed his thumb to the Mark. "What is it," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Voldemort appeared opposite his window, rage radiating off him in waves. None of that showed in how voice. He was more in control of his emotions than he had ever been in school. "Your mission has changed."

Cyrus arched an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Voldemort's slit nostrils flared, his eyes blazing. "One of my followers has betrayed me," he said curtly. "He has removed his Mark."

Cyrus inspected his Mark. "So this damn thing can come off? Interesting." Before he could brace himself, a powerful blast of energy sent him flying in agony into the far wall. Only a powerful will, forged decades in the wild, kept him for moaning in agony. In spite of the cruciatus curse, he rose steadily to his feet. He could tell his old friend was surprised, possibly scared.

But not enough to be thwarted. He doubled his efforts on the curse, bringing Cyrus to his knees. To make the pain worse, he flooded Cyrus with memories of his victims. In his weakened state, he couldn't keep his body from trying to transform into several things at once. Where the curse didn't, the failed transformations made him scream.

"Do not toy with me Cyrus," Voldemort spat. "The Mark is a sign of loyalty. To remove it means death."

Cyrus vomited. "Who did it," he asked when he reigned in his stomach.

"Severus Snape, the man I appointed as Headmaster of Hogwarts." The storm of rage surrounding Voldemort grew into a tornado. "He will die. And that is your new objective."

Cyrus rose unceasingly to his feet and leaned over a counter. "What do you want me to do?"

"After you transform into that scum, you will be sent to Hogwarts. As a member of the Order, but not an employee of the Ministry, they will use you there to bolster their defenses. Do whatever you must but kill Severus Snape and subvert their defenses however you can. I will focus on the Ministry but you can weaken Hogwarts so when I attack, it will fall into my hand like a ripe peach."

"Become this man and kill Snape," Cyrus repeated. "Sounds easy enough."

Voldemort advanced on him. "Do not fail me Gold. I expect you to communicate with me once a day through the Mark. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

His old friend and new master disappeared. Cyrus took a few minutes to gather himself then settled in for one final memory walk. He needed to become this man soon."


End file.
